


Dreaming

by RenIchimokufan1



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Sad and Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-04-02 13:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 55,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4062202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RenIchimokufan1/pseuds/RenIchimokufan1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lately, Armin has been having weird dreams that throw him off-guard. Why is he having these dreams, and why does he feel weird around Levi? This Fanfic starts at the beginning of Eren's trial. SNK does not belong to me.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter one:  
The trial  
It was the trial of Eren Yeager. He was considered an obvious danger to people as a half human, half titan, and therefore most of those present believed he should die. Armin Arlert did not agree, and neither did a few others. The proceedings lasted a long time, but in the end they were resolved by Captain Levi kicking Eren and telling the crowd that Eren wasn't his enemy, and could be a valuable asset to the Survey Corps. And should Eren turn out a be a danger to humanity, then he, Levi, would kill Eren personally. To Armin's relief, the court agreed and as the crowd began to thin out, he ran to Captain Levi. 

As Armin touched the captain's shoulder Levi turned around with his ever sharp gaze. ''What do you want, brat?'' he said. Armin gulped, before he stammered ''Ano, sir. I wanted to th-thank you for saving my f-f-friend back there.'' Levi was taken aback, no one ever said such a thing, not in these matters. He studied the blond boy. He seemed uncommon, actually, he seemed kind of special. He had a slighter build than Levi himself, and apparently his heart was in the right spot, not very strong looking though. ''You were standing next to that girl giving me murderous looks, weren't you?'' Levi asked. Armin blushed before nodding. Levi smiled. ''Tell her that Eren will be fine with us.'' Levi said, and took off. 

That evening, after Eren's wounds had been treated, he and captain Levi were dining together. ''Your little friend walked up to me today'' Levi said. Eren looked up. "Mikasa? Why would she do that?" Levi replied ''But that's a girl's name, why would you call him that?'' Now Eren got confused. If it wasn't Mikasa, then it must have been Armin. That seemed odd. ''Oh, then you must mean Armin. Was he blond-haired? What did he say?'' Eren asked. ''He thanked me for saving your ass there. Seemed a bit shy. So, who is he?'' Levi asked.  
Eren hesitated before answering: ''Armin Arlert is my best friend, and has been for a very long time. He is extremely talented at thinking of strategies, he came up with the idea of me becoming a titan, to seal up the wall.'' 

''Did he now? Interesting...'' Levi excused himself for dessert and left. Later that night he was reading the report on the case of Eren Yeager. ''Armin Arlert'', he said thoughtfully. 

On a different compound Armin was asleep, vividly dreaming.

Everyone at the trial was talking about Eren. ''Stop it, Eren means well!'' he shouted, but no one seemed to hear him,not even the gloomy looking Mikasa. That is, until he locked eyes with captain Levi. ''Trust me.'' Levi said, and kicked Eren.  
Armin sat up straight in bed. ''That was an odd dream'' he whispered to himself and went back to sleep. That very same night Levi visited Eren at the cell he slept in. ''Tomorrow, I would like to have dinner with you and your friends. To celebrate the outcome of your trial.'' Levi said. Eren glared at Levi, while it would be nice to see his best friends again, for some reason he did not trust Levi near Armin, or Mikasa, for that matter.

''OK.'' he agreed curtly, after some giving it some thought. 

The next morning, they traveled by horse to the compound where Armin, Mikasa and the other trainees were staying and training. Once they spotted Eren everybody called out at the same time ''Eren!'' ''Welcome back!'' ''Good to see you again!''. Everyone was glad to see him again, even Jean.

As Levi dismounted, his eyes met with Armin's, who couldn't make himself break eye-contact. There was something captivating in the captain's eyes. In the end Levi smiled and walked up to Armin, who greeted him properly. ''Captain, it is an honour...'' he started. ''Don't be a fool, my name is Levi'' Levi told him and smiled. ''Tonight, because of the favourable outcome at court yesterday, we're celebrating with a dinner. Since the brat, ehr, Eren, told me you're his best friend, I'd like to invite you to join us.'' Levi told him, ''The br, ..Eren is inviting Mikasa as well.'' Armin smiled in response, ''I would love to come, Levi-heichou, I'll make sure to get permission.'' he promised.  
Meanwhile, Eren said to Mikasa, ''I swear, he is up to something. He asked whether you and Armin could join, but he didn't even know your name! I don't trust him, we must keep up our guard, Armin's too trusting.'' Mikasa replied, ''I'm worried as well, he never even saw us before, and now he wants to hang out? I don't trust that snobby midget, if he tries anything funny, we'll attack him. He probably can't handle us both... can he?''

''Well, all set to go.'' Levi said, as he approached with Armin. Mikasa gave Levi a blank stare, huffed and told Eren she was going to get changed before dinner. The rest of the crew had gone back to minding their own business again. Armin gave Eren a hug. ''I am so glad the trial went well, Eren'' Armin said with a soft voice. Eren hugged him back. ''I'm rather happy myself.'' he said flippantly, while glaring at Levi, who just shrugged and went to check on the horses.

''I heard you even thanked Captain Levi'' Eren said. Armin nodded and said, ''It seemed the proper thing to do, considering he saved your life, don't you think?'' As Eren broke the hug he said, "Those kicks were rather enthousiastic though, I'm not sure I trust him all the way."  
After Mikasa got dressed, they all mounted up and headed of towards wall Sina. They made good progress initially, but an hour's ride from the wall, Armin noticed something wrong with his horse and called out to the others: ''Wait up! Something' s wrong with my horse.'' After dismounting, he discovered his horse had lost one of it's shoes. ''I am sorry, but we will have to slow down. I will have to walk my horse, she has lost a shoe'' Armin explained. ''That is inconvenient. That way we won't make it in time'' Levi told them. ''Don't worry Levi, Armin and I will ride double. That way we will make it in time. And even if we don't, it doesn't matter, as long as I get to spend time with Mikasa and Armin'' he said. Armin gratefully smiled and allowed Eren to pull him on the horse.

Levi nodded assent, but somehow he was uncomfortable with this solution. They continued their way to wall Sina. The remainder of the trip was uneventfull. ''See, we made it in time'' Eren teased, as they arrived at the gates of Sina. Levi grumbled as they dismounted. ''Thank you, Eren'' Armin said. ''No biggie, you would have done the same thing.'' Eren said and winked. Armin blushed as they stabled the horses and walked to the restaurant. The restaurant wasn't a grand affair, but rather cozy and atmospheric.

Levi had reserved a table for them. The waitress showed them their seats and they sat down. She took their drink orders and gave them their menu's. Levi sat opposite Armin, with Eren to his left, and Mikasa to his right. ''Sorry for the long trip, but it is the cleanest kitchen that I am aware of, and therefore I refuse to eat anywhere else, besides my own place.'' Levi told them. Eren was aware of how much of a neat freak the captain really was. It made Eren wonder why his cell was so messy.

''No matter, I'm just glad Eren made it out of the trial alive'' Mikasa said and then glowered at Levi. ''If you ever kick my brother like that again, you'll regret it'' she told him. Levi decided not to reply to that. The waitress returned and asked them whether they were ready to order. Armin looked at Levi nervously, ''Can we order anything on the menu?'' he asked. Levi nodded, ''Take whatever you like.'' he said. Reassured, everyone ordered their favorite dish, while Mikasa quickly studied the menu again, and picked the most expensive items she could find. The waitress jotted down their orders, and just as she disappeared into the kitchen, Levi said ''You do realize escargots are snails, right?'' Mikasa nodded, as she shuddered inside. ''Of course, I am not a fool.'' she huffed. ''OK, wouldn't want you to make a mistake.'' Levi said and then raised his glass. ''To Eren, and his continued usefulness to the Survey Corps." "To Eren!" , they all echoed.

They chatted about the compound, about their friends, like Sasha, and her obsession for potatoes. And how Jean secretly had missed Eren, even though he would never admit. And how everyone had progressed in their training. Levi felt left out by the sudden cameraderie, the unfamiliar names and events he had never been a part off. Just as Levi realised that this was something that Eren needed, and decided not to interupt the conversation, Armin turned to him and said ''Isn't this awfully boring for you, Cap-...Levi? I mean, you probably never heard of these people.''

"I'm always interested to learn about the progress of our potential recruits and their level of readiness'' Levi replied. Armin smiled and said ''Then you must be very glad Eren joined the corps early, right?'' Levi was spared an answer by the waitress's reappearance. Everyone was silent for awhile as they enjoyed their food.

''This is way better than the food we usually get at the compound'' Eren said full of enthousiasm. Armin nodded vigorously, Mikasa less so, and Levi just smiled. As their hunger was blunted, they again became more talkative, and as the evening progressed their spirits rose. Eren once more began to speak about the ocean and how they would one day walk it's shores. ''Ocean?'' Levi asked. 

"We were raised in a small town, behind the towering wall of Maria. We used to read books, to learn what it would be like to go outside. And we loved reading about the ocean. We are eager to see it one day'' Armin said, with a blush of excitement on his face. Eren smiled and pulled Armin closer to him. ''And one day, we will see it!'' he promised Armin. Levi frowned, ''You'll have to fight your way through an awful lot of titans'' he told them. They went thoughtfull at that and ate in silence for a while, as they considered the dangers present in the realisation of their dreams. 

After they finished the main course, the waitress came by offering desserts. ''Hey, it's getting a bit late, but I would hate to skip dessert. Do you guys mind staying over at the compound?'' Eren offered, neglecting to ask permission. Levi was about to object, but the brats were interesting, or at least, their vision about the ocean was, so he decided to let it go.

Mikasa, focused on the dessert card, replied distractedly; ''I suppose we can... what's an omelet Siberienne?''

''Could we use a messenger pigeon to let our instructor know we're safely inside?'' Armin asked. Levi considered for a moment, but decided there were sufficient pigeons in the coops he could use one for private purposes. "Sure, we can spare one." he replied. Armin smiled his thanks.

''So, how do you like your new compound?'' Mikasa asked Eren. Before he could reply he slept on the ground in a cell, Levi interrupted; ''Eren's room isn't quite finished yet, so we share a room, it's large enough to accommodate four. I'll ask Hanji for extra matresses.'' Mikasa glared at Levi, saying; ''I believe I asked Eren a question, don't you think it's rude when people answer for others, Armin?'' Armin squirmed at Mikasa's rudeness but kept silent.

''Well, anyway, it's settled'' Eren said. After dessert, as they went for their coats, they heard Levi say; ''The Survey Corps will cover the bill'' to the waitress, making Mikasa regret her dinner choice even more. 

They retrieved their horses and walked to the compound, where Levi told Hanji they would need sleeping arrangements for four instead of the regular situation. Levi offered to give them a tour of the compound while their room was prepared. They started by stabling the horses. As they stabled the horses, Armin asked about the titans that he had seen when they entered the compound. Before Levi could answer, Eren said ''Miss Hanji is researching them, she has named them Sonny and Bean.'' Levi continued by saying ''By observing them she hopes to learn more about the nature of the titans. You can talk to her tomorrow if you'd like to'' Armin smiled and said, ''That sounds interesting.'' 

Then Levi led them to the dining hall. ''It is really clean in here'' Mikasa noted as Armin nodded. ''Levi is a real neat freak'' Eren told them. If Levi's glare could kill, Eren would have been dead then and there. Mikasa yawned, as Armin asked ''It's getting kind of late, could we delay the rest of the tour until tomorrow?'' Levi was tired as well, but knew Hanji was still preparing their beds. ''We could take a quick shower, then head of to bed'' he told them. ''I told you, he is a freaking neat freak'' Eren whispered as they headed of to the showers.  
After they showered, they went to Levi's room and crawled into their beds.They were all far too tired to chat before sleeping so Levi turned the light off and they fell asleep. After a couple of hours Armin began to dream.

''We are gathered here for the trial of Eren Yeager, who is accused of being a titan'' an older man said. Armin wanted to say something, but had lost the ability to speak. Eren was a good person, even if he had become a titan. It did save them, and it was his suggestion that Eren's increased strenght could be used to plug the hole in the Wall. The trial soon turned chaotic as everyone started shouting. Armin looked around, helplessly. Couldn't anyone help his friend?

Then his eyes met the gaze of a serious looking young man. And as if he seemed to understand what Armin wanted, he nodded and mouthed ''Trust me''. Then he raised his hand and silence fell over the court. ''It is my belief, that even though this brat has the ability to become a titan, finding him guilty won't help you. If anything, this trial should anger him.'' Then he gave Eren some vicious kicks , before stating Eren wasn't his enemy and asked the old man if the same was true for him.

Armin shot up and looked around. It was dawn, and while Eren and Mikasa were still fast asleep, Levi's bed was empty. Armin got up and took extra care in making as little noise as possible leaving the room. He had been too tired to notice last night, but the building was huge, it made him feel a little insecure and he wasn't really sure why he had gotten up. 

Armin's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of approaching feet, then a door opened, and a girl came through. She made eye contact and asked ''Who are you?'' ''I'm Armin, a friend of Eren's, we were invited by Heichou to stay over.'' ''Oh, Levi mentioned something about eating with Eren and his friends. Didn't know you guys would stay over. Can I help you with anything, you look kind of lost?'' she asked.  
''Thanks, I noticed Heichou wasn't sleeping anymore and wondered where he went'' The girl smiled ''He is probably cleaning, or preparing breakfast. I'll take you to him.'' she said as she motioned him to follow her. ''Thank you, ehr...'' Armin stammered. ''Petra'' the girl said. She led him to the kitchen, where Levi was, cleaning.

''Heichou, this guy was looking for you.'' Petra said, making Levi look up. He was suprised to see Armin next to Petra. ''I am going to the titans, my turn to babysit the little runts.'' she said to Levi, and took off. Once again silence fell over the room. ''Eren mentioned you liked cleaning, do you get up this early every morning, to clean?'' Armin asked. Levi continued cleaning and nodded as he asked: ''Why were you looking for me?'' 

Armin hestitated before answering, after all, he wasn't sure himself why he was. ''I got up early after having a disturbing dream, and noticed you were gone. I guess I wanted to make sure nothing bad had happened around here'' Armin said while smiling nervously. Levi stopped cleaning, and looked at the blond boy. ''A disturbing dream?'' he asked. Armin nodded. ''Like a nightmare?'' Levi asked. Armin shook his head. ''Not really, Heichou. I dreamt about the trial. I've done that a lot lately, dreaming about the trial. Maybe my subconsciousness is trying to process what happened.'' Levi eyed Armin before getting closer and putting his arm around Armin's shoulder. ''As I've told you before, I have a name.'' he admonished. Armin gulped before saying ''I am sorry Heich- I mean, Levi.'' as he turned an entirely new crimson hue. Levi wondered why he found the boy's shyness so endearing, in general, he detested the dreamy type. Before Levi could finish this train of thought, they heard a strangled scream coming from outside.


	2. When a tragic event occurs, you shouldn't let it get you down.

Chapter two:

When a tragic event occurs, you shouldn't let it get you down.

Their conversation interrupted, Levi and Armin looked up and, as the scream seemed to come from the area where the captive titans were held, Levi grabbed his weapons as he hurried outside, followed by Armin. Arriving on the scene, they found two burned titan bodies and one crying Hanji. Petra was trying to comfort her, but it didn't seem to work. ''Who is responsible for this?'' Levi asked, but the person who had been guarding them hadn't seen anyone. Hanji cried out; ''Poor Bean! Poor Sonny! What kind of heartless jerk would attack those sweet titans, they were so kind. And they were very important! What kind of idiot is sabotaging my research!'' Armin felt bad for her, and joined Petra in comforting Hanji, putting his hand gently on her shoulder. He said; ''It sounds like they were very nice. Why don't we hold a small ceremony to honor them, and afterwards, you can tell me all about them.'' Hanji looked up. ''Usually we don't have time for such things, but that would be very nice.'' she said with tears in her eyes. They both turned to Levi, wondering whether or not he would agree. ''Make it a short one, and make sure that this area is cleaned up afterwards.'' he told them.

Then they heard a battle cry as Eren charged towards them. Mikasa sedately followed the screaming boy. ''Where are the titans, I will kill them!'' the boy yelled, as Petra and Hanji stared confusedly at the angry boy, and Levi and Armin gave him an 'are-you-serious?' look. Mikasa caught up, telling Eren that there were no titans harming them. At that, Eren calmed down a little as he asked, ''Then why did I hear a scream, coming from here?'' Armin explained, ''Sonny and Bean were killed, Hanji screamed because of that.'' pointing at the huge bodies behind him. ''Oh, ehr.., ok. So.., who attacked them?'' Eren asked, at which Levi thought 'If he really is this dumb, he is not going to be of any use to me in the field'. ''We don't know who is responsible for this atrocity'' Hanji sobbed. ''I promise you, Hanji, that when we find the person responsible for this, we will attack him and then you can finish it off'' Eren said, as he tried to comfort the Titan-crazy woman. Levi frowned at Eren's presumption.

Mikasa motioned Armin to follow her, to which he nodded, and they slipped away as everyone's attention was still on Eren. They walked along the roads near the compound, until they came to a small bridge, where Armin asked, ''Did you want to ask me something, Mikasa?'' as they rested against the railing. Mikasa replied, ''I just wanted to talk. Eren mentioned you thanked Heichou after the trial?'' ''I did. It seemed the right thing to do'' Armin answered. Mikasa frowned, ''I see... Armin, I'm concerned about Heichou's recent actions.'' Armin's eyes widened a little, ''How come? Do you think he is up to something that could be a threath to Eren?'' Mikasa shook her head as she pointed at him, ''I think he is up to something, and I believe it has something to do with you. He is constantly around, and acting nice only to you. Haven't you noticed?'' Just as Armin was about to reply, they heard yelling coming from the compound. They recognized Eren's voice among the clamor and hurried back fearing that he had got himself in some kind of trouble.

As they entered the compound, they spotted a red-faced Eren, screaming at Levi, ''It's already clean! I am not going to clean that hall again!'' Levi folded his arms as he calmly told Eren''Yes, you will, and you will keep at it until I am satisfied with the result.'' ''Can't you two leave it alone?'' a disheveled Hanji said, ''Just do as he says, Eren, Levi is your superior. And Levi? Don't abuse your authority, that hallway looks plenty clean to me.''

A tense silence developed before both of the stubborn young men nodded curtly and went back to their respective tasks. Hanji pushed up her glasses and sighed as Mikasa asked, ''What was all that about?'' Hanji adjusted her glasses before answering ''You missed the fight they had before? I really thought you were there. Oh well, when Eren comforted me by saying that he would find and attack the culprit, Levi declared that it isn't Eren's task to decide those things. Then Eren grumbled something, and they started fighting. I stopped them, and gave them both a task, to clear their minds. Eren was cleaning the hall, and Levi was cooking, but Levi decided it was a good idea to supervise Eren, just as the boy was finished. Of course Levi didn't think it was clean enough, because it never is... and he told Eren to do it again, which caused Eren's temper to flare up again.'' She breathed in before asking ''But where were you when this happened?'' Mikasa answered, ''We had to go to the toilet.'' leaving Hanji more than a bit confused.

''Eh,.. right.'' Hanji answered and then turned to Armin. ''About that ceremony. I was really suprised you got Levi to agree. But it will have to be a small one, and I believe you have to return to your compound tonight. So, how about this afternoon? We bury them, and say our prayers?'' Armin nodded. ''Sounds good to me, a small one is enough to give them the respect they deserve.'' Hanji smiled as she rejoined two other surveyors digging graves for Sonny and Bean. ''Ceremony?'' Mikasa asked Armin as they went to see how Eren was doing. ''Well,.. Hanji was really close to the titans, and was upset this morning. So, I thought a ceremony would be a good idea.'' Armin answered while they went upstairs. Mikasa nodded. ''This is exactly what I was talking about. Heichou gave permission because you came up with the idea, but Eren's suggestion led to fighting. Even Hanji said she was suprised, so he does act different around you. Don't you think it is a odd at all ?'' she said, just as they happened upon Eren, grumbling as he scrubbed the floor.

''How are you doing Eren? It looks really clean here.'' Armin said. Eren looked up at his friends, before answering ''Hey, I couldn't find you guys earlier. I've had a fight with Levi, and now I am stuck cleaning a hall that I've cleaned already.'' Mikasa waved dismissively, ''Hanji told us already. You should watch out and behave yourself, Eren. Levi hired you under certain cicumstances, and can harm you whenever he wishes to.'' Eren grumbled, ''I know, Mikasa. You don't have to remind me, I seriously don't like that bastard'' he did so a little louder then intended. ''Nor do I like you.'' a voice said behind them. None of them had heard Levi coming, but he didn't seem too pissed off. ''You're done cleaning. You're to help Hanji with the preparations for the ceremony, so we can get it over with'' Levi told Eren. Eren nodded and left, with Mikasa following her brother. Armin wanted to follow as well, but Levi stopped him. ''Shadis responded to your message, he needs you and Mikasa back for training. He expects you two to be back tonight, before ten o' clock.'' Armin replied, ''Ok, thank you, Levi. And thanks for having us over. Please forgive Eren for what he just said. He is a good friend, and a better soldier.''

A short silence fell as Levi paused for thought, before he answered, ''I suppose I can forgive his transgression, see it as a personal favour to you.'' ''Thank you, Heichou'' Armin said, before he ran after Mikasa and Eren. Levi smiled to himself, and wondered how often he would have to tell Armin that his name was Levi, and not Heichou. He went, to take a shower before the ceremony would start. He undressed, and as he turned the shower on, he wondered why the boy was so damnable formal with him, and why the hell that bothered him. Then another thought occured to him, why was he thinking about Armin at all? In fact, the blond boy had been on his mind a lot lately, he wondered why. Why not Eren, his new asset, or his friend, Mikasa. What did Armin have, that drove his mind to wander to Armin several times over the last few days. It didn't make any sense.

Levi turned off the water, and grabbed a towel. After he dried himself, he got dressed. Then he dragged himself to the ceremony he had promised Hanji. As promised, he made sure the ceremony was a short one. A sobbing Hanji led the ceremony, as she told about how kind these two innocent victims were, and how much they had contributed to the body of knowledge concerning titans. True heroes, in their own, limited, way. Most of her collegues sweatdropped, as Hanji talked a little too enthousiasticly, and probably forgot all the times that Sonny and Bean had tried to attack her during her research. During her speech, an uncomfortable silence grew. Levi noticed this, and when Hanji spoke the words, ''Does anyone like to say something about them as well?'', he was the one that stood up, and stepped forward. He explained that times were dire, and not everyone could be given time to speech, but he was sure everyone grieved with and for Hanji. Everyone hurriedly agreed, and gave their final salute to Sonny and Bean, and then took off to their respective tasks. ''That was beautiful, Levi. I really appreciate it, and I think Sonny and Bean would have as well.'' Hanji said and left, a happy smile on her face.

Armin too walked up to Levi. ''That was a nice ceremony. It was really kind of you, to give a speech as well, I believe it meant the world to Hanji. Thank you for allowing this, Levi'' he said with averted eyes. ''It was your idea, Arlert, and may I add, it was the right thing to do'' Levi said. Armin smiled, before he replied ''Thank you, Mikasa and I are going to gather our stuff, before we head back to our compound'' Then, Armin walked towards the room that they had shared, but not before looking back once, and telling Levi he should call him Armin instead of Arlert.

After Armin and Mikasa gathered their gear, they mounted their horses. Eren and Levi watched as the two made sure they were ready to depart. ''Thanks for having us over'' Armin said, to which Mikasa nodded. Eren said, ''It has been nice seeing you guys again, I hope we will rejoin forces again soon'' ''We'll be back, within two months, and then we, too, will have joined the survey corps'' Mikasa said. Levi walked up to his office, as the three friends made their extended goodbyes. Then Mikasa and Armin headed back to their compound, and Eren went back to his training. Levi glanced out of his window and spotted the two leaving, and couldn't help but look forward to when the next trainees would join the survey corps.

Mikasa and Armin had a safe trip towards their compound. They arrived just as supper started, joined their friends, and enjoyed the food. During supper a lot of questions were asked. Christa asked how Eren was doing, while Sasha wanted to know how the food they ate there had been. Connie asked what the other compound was like, but the most suprising thing was that Jean was silent, watching Armin carefully. After supper, Jean pulled Armin away, to the sleeping quarters.

''What's wrong?'' Jean asked, as they sat down on Jean's bed. ''Nothing, why do you ask?'' Armin replied. ''You're not a very good liar, Armin, I can see it when I look at you. You have these little wrinkles, you usually have them when you're worried about something. And since Eren isn't around, you probably will try and keep it to yourself, but it's better to share your worries. It will be a relief, Marco told me to do it as well, and it really helped.'' Armin smiled, before he tucked some hair behind his right ear. ''I suppose you're right'' he said and then sighed, as he leaned against Jean's shoulder. ''I just feel somewhat confused about certain events that occured in the past two days'' Armin said. ''What do you mean?'' Jean asked. Armin told him everything, about the dinner, Mikasa who warned him for the Heichou's behaviour. And how nice Levi had been to him. ''Sounds to me that the Heichou is kinda fond of you, that makes sense, because you are a very likeable and smart person. I mean, even Annie likes you.'' Jean said, causing Armin to blush. ''That's very nice of you to say, Jean. You should be like this more often, I mean, you're very likeable as well, you just don't like to show it.'' Armin said.

Jean shook his head. ''No can do buddy, I've got a reputation to maintain.'' he boasted, making Armin giggle. Which made Jean smile, seeing Armin in better spirits. ''Thanks for listening to me, Marco is right, it does help'' Armin told Jean. ''Maybe I should go to him, next time'' Armin teased. ''Oi, I helped you'' Jean said, pretending to be in a huff. Armin leaned a little closer. ''There's something still bothering you, right?'' Jean asked uncertainly, while stroking Armin's soft blond hair. ''Yeah'' Armin sighed. ''Well... I can't help you, unless I know what is going on in that brain of yours, but unfortunately, I can't read minds.'' Jean said, in an effort to make Armin smile again. ''I know Jean, but this is rather personal. I can tell you, but you have to promise me you won't laugh.'' Armin said. Jean nodded, as Armin sat up straight, and looked him in the eyes. There was some uncertainty in his eyes, as he spoke ''I do feel strange when I am around Levi. I know I am not the most outspoken person, but being around him makes me even shyer then usual. And my stomach just flutters when he speaks to me. The others seemed to fear him, or to dislike his efforts, but he is really nice, and seems to do what is right. But I don't want to have a fight with my friends about liking a person that they have such strong feelings against''

Before either of them could continue, Marco and Reiner entered the room, and the two friends moved apart. ''Something wrong?'' Marco asked them right away, as he sensed the mood his friends were in. ''Nothing, I was telling Armin about what he and Mikasa missed these last days, and he was a little tired, so he leant against me a bit.'' Jean said. ''I see. I would be tired as well, maybe you should go to sleep, Armin. Shadis is planning quite the training for tomorrow'' Reiner said. Armin nodded. ''I could use some sleep'' he said with a yawn, and walked to his bed. Soon enough, it was time to sleep for everyone, and the compound turned silent and dark. The only things making noise were the wind, and some people snoring. When Armin finally fell asleep, he started dreaming right away.

Everyone was shouting, as Eren sat there, listening to what everyone had to say about him. Even though they didn't know the real Eren. It pained Armin to see his friend like this. But his voice wasn't loud enough to tell everyone to shut up, let alone to tell them what the real Eren was like, a good person. But then the court abruptly fell quiet as a small man walked towards Armin's chained best friend. You could hear every step Levi took, before he came to a stop beside Eren. He told the court that if they feared the Titan in Eren, they should fear this trial more, for if anything, this trial should anger Eren. He told everyone he trusted Eren, before he started kicking Eren's head. When he finally stopped, he told everyone Eren could be trusted and would be an asset to the Survey corps, and if Eren should prove to be a danger, he would kill Eren personally. Nobody dared contradict him, and all agreed this might be for the best, and then it was over.

The crowd dispersed, chatting about what had just happened. Two women in survey corps livery held Eren between them, as they walked him of. Mikasa followed the rest of the trainee group, and Armin spotted Levi leaving as well. He was supposed to follow Mikasa with the rest of his group, but both his head and heart agreed on following the man that just saved his friend's life. He ran into the direction where he had seen Levi leaving, and spotted him a short distance away. Armin's heartbeat accelerated, as he walked up to Levi, and put his hand on Levi's shoulder. Levi turned around, and came face to face with Armin. ''What do you want?'' he asked. Levi wasn't blind, the insignia on Armin's shirt indicated that he was a trainee. ''Aren't you supposed to head back to your training?'' Levi asked. Armin hesitated before answering Levi's questions. Why had he followed Levi? Why didn't he follow his group, like he was supposed to? ''Out with it boy, or has the cat gotten your tongue.'' Levi spoke somewhat harshly. ''I-I wanted to thank you.'' Armin blurted out, gaining a confused stare from Levi. ''What do you mean by that?'' Levi asked. ''You saved Eren, Eren is my best friend.'' Armin said. ''I want to thank you for saving him, and accepting him into the Survey corps.''

''Weren't you the boy standing next to that girl that was giving me the murderous looks. I suppose she is a friend of Eren as well?'' Levi suddenly mentioned. Armin's heart dropped as Levi started talking about Mikasa. He nodded, while his fear grew. Fear that Mikasa would get accepted into the survey corps as well, before he did. Fear that he would not get to see Eren or Mikasa for two months. Fear that either of them could die, before they had a chance to see each other again. But Levi's voice broke his chain of thoughts, as he said ''... and tell her that Eren will be fine with us'' Armin nodded, and then heard Mikasa calling him. ''I have to go.'' he told Levi, but before he headed back, Levi said ''You'll see Eren soon enough''. 

As the dream faded, Armin settled into a deep slumber. Under the same stars, at another compound, Levi was sitting in his bed, thinking about the events of the previous two days, or rather, the company he'd had. Hanji came in, spotting him deep in thought. ''Something wrong, Sir?'' she asked. Levi looked up, before shaking his head. ''No, I am fine'' he told her. ''Ok.'' she said awkwardly. ''I just wanted to say thanks for the ceremony, and the things you said for Sonny and Bean. It suprised me that you would allow such a thing, but I am thankful for it.'' ''That's all?'' Levi asked, and she nodded, before going back to her own room. 'I did it for someone else, though. Couldn't care less about her pet Titans.' Levi thought, before he too went to sleep.

The next morning, Levi was among the first to rise. He got dressed and decided to start the day by drinking tea while cleaning some tables, so he headed downstairs to the kitchen. But before he could start cleaning, Eren walked up to him. Levi frowned right away, as he spotted the taller boy. Eren didn't seem too happy either, ''Levi'' the boy said, in a spiteful tone. ''What do you want, brat?'' Levi replied. ''For starters, a room would be nice.'' Eren said. Levi sighed, as he answered ''I'll try and see what I can arrange for you.'' Eren's frown turned into a glare, causing Levi to sneer and say, ''Well, what are you waiting for, what more could you possibly want from me?'' Eren snorted, before saying ''I want you to leave Armin alone. I've seen your behaviour, and even though I have no clue what your plan is, I sure as hell don't like it. So I want you to know, if Armin gets hurt, Mikasa and I won't hesitate to kill you.'' Levi got up, pushed Eren up against the wall, and put his arm across Eren's throat. He held him there for a while before saying, ''Sure, go ahead. I'd like to see you and your girlfriend try. But allow me to tell you this, moron, there is no plan against your blond friend. I was just being nice, because unlike you, he's a likeable fellow'' and then he let go of Eren, who slid down against the wall, gasping.

Levi, on the other hand, left the room to see what his subordinates were up to. He spotted most of them training, and then met up with Erwin. ''Things are looking up, we haven't had a titan attack in a while'' Erwin told Levi, who nodded before replying. ''Commander, I also look forward to meeting the new recruits in a while. I have heard they are well-trained, and have a lot of potential'' Erwin's eyes widened, Levi had never shown any interest in new recruits before, so why did he now? After mulling that over for a bit, Erwin finally replied, ''Shadis told me the same thing, most of them are even planning on joining the Survey Corps. Usually the majority chickens out, but Shadis said they were quite determined.''

''That's a good thing, we need more men, to replenish our recent losses.'' Levi said, then went to his office to get some paperwork done. Before Levi was done, hours passed, and he decided to get something to drink. But before he reached the kitchen, Hanji and Petra intercepted him. ''I heard you had an encounter with Eren this morning...'' Hanji said. Levi didn't exactly care what she was going to tell him, but it wasn't a good idea to piss her off, so he nodded. Hanji continued, ''...there was absolutely no need for violence. Anyway, the matter about him getting a room has been settled. But I must ask you to not threathen Eren any more.'' before she walked away. Petra gave Levi a worried look. ''Something wrong, Petra?'' Levi asked her. ''I am worried about you and Eren fighting. It could escalate one day, and to be honest, the two of you fighting scares me. I mean, it doesn't even have a good reason... and both of you have such a temper. Please take care'' she said, blushing, then ran after Hanji. Levi frowned, as he muttered, ''That was odd.'' Besides, his fighting with Eren had a perfectly good reason, he hated the boy's guts. That and Eren implied Levi would hurt Armin intentionally, just because he had been nice to Armin, couldn't he act nice every once in a while? He was their boss, after all. Then he walked into the kitchen and enjoyed some tea. And much like before, even before he had time to sip, Eren walked in, and sat across from him.

''For the love of god, now what!'' Levi exclaimed. ''I wanted to say I'm sorry, for what I said this morning. I am kinda protective of my friends, and I still don't quite trust you. But you have been nice to them, so my reaction was unfair. So, how about a truce?'' Eren proposed. Levi thought about it before shrugging non-commitically.

When it turned night again, Levi lay on his bed. He wasn't thinking about anything in particular, just the ruckus with Eren, and the truce Eren had proposed. 'Things still were tense between them, and what for? The wretch was terribly ungratefull after being saved.' He decided to stop thinking about the matter, and then his mind once again drifted of to the blond friend of his least favourite asset. 'Would he be able to see Armin again soon, to talk to him, about his vision of the ocean?' And soon enough Levi fell asleep. He awoke to the sound of Petra's voice, yelling ''Levi, wake up. There is an attack coming!'' He could hear a panicked Hanji commanding some soldiers outside. ''An attack.'' he said to no one in particular. ''How bad is it?'' He asked Petra while he put his gear on. ''From the looks of it, pretty bad. It seems like they are planning to attack the great wall of Maria. The female and the armored titan are among them.'' Soon, the whole corps was on its way to stop the attack from the titans. Many casualties were expected due to the large number of titans reported.


	3. A little bird told me so.

Chapter three:

A little bird told me so.

Marco's P.O.V.:

In the two days Mikasa and Armin went to visit Eren at the corps, the tension in the compound grew. Ymir stayed close with Krista, and with Mikasa gone, the two most beautiful girls weren't around to be gawked at, so the guys started talking. A lot. Bertholdt and Reiner however did not join in, preferring to hang around with Annie.

The first night of those two days was a warm one. Marco was unable to sleep and got up to get a glass of water. As he got up, making sure he wouldn't wake the others, he noticed Reiner's bed was empty. He briefly wondered why, then shrugged as he got up and left the room. Sure enough, walking down the corridor, he met up with Reiner. ''What are you doing out of bed?'' the older boy said. ''Nothing, just getting water. Why are you in your gear?'' Marco replied. Reiner didn't even bother to answer, as he walked past Marco. Marco shrugged once more, some people got grumpier the earlier they rose. 

The next day, as he waited for Jean, who had to go to the toilet, Marco overheard some people talking, or rather, whispering around the corner. He snuck up to the corner, curious why someone would whisper in the corridors, and overheard; ''We have to take down that wall, for the plan to work. The non-intelligent titans will be easy to work with, but they need a leader so they can distract the corps'' he heard Annie say. ''I will take that task.'' Bertholdt said, and then continued ''I will guide you and the others to the wall, and while you destroy it, we will deal with the remaining fighters.'' Marco's eyes widened in fear. So they were the intelligent titans? And here they were, plotting against humanity. They successfully infiltrated the training camp, and would therefore know most tricks humanity had up its sleeve. But who could he warn, who would believe him?

Then Jean called for him, so he retreated hastily and made sure the two of them left quickly. That night he didn't close an eye, worried about what was going on. He was the only one who knew that Annie and Bertholdt were plotting.

The day after Mikasa and Armin came back, Marco wandered around, still worried. So he decided to clear his mind by reading a book. He sat on his bed, and opened the book. After a while he was engrossed in the story, and didn't even notice what was going on around him. ''Hey'' a soft voice suddenly said. He looked up, seeing Armin and Jean sitting at the foot of his bed.

Normal P.O.V

''You are even quieter than usual, something wrong, Marco? You were the one that taught me to share everything that was on my mind'' Jean said. Marco smiled to his friends. ''I was just thinking. How would you feel if you knew something horrible were bound to happen, and you wanted to tell, but can't, or daren't?'' Marco asked them.

Jean didn't speak, while Armin thought before kindly speaking. ''I would feel lonely, and confused. But I would start to work the gears in my head, to find a solution to my problem. But if it would be that horrible, and you really don't know what to do, you should find someone to turn to, someone close to you. I usually talk to Eren or Reiner. They are good listeners, and usually know what to do.''

Marco nodded, understanding what the blond was saying ''Maybe I should talk to Reiner.'' he said, and smiled, pulling his friends in for a hug. Once he let go, he walked to the door. ''Marco?'' Jean asked. Marco turned his head, ''Don't worry, I'm fine now.'' he said, and left.

That evening, Marco had left after he had told Jean and Armin he was going to bring a message towards wall Rose . Armin and Jean noticed Reiner's bed was empty as well. Armin wondered about Reiner. What could Marco have told him, that he was gone. At some point, both of them grew tired and decided to turn in for the night. Soon enough, Armin started dreaming again. This time however, the dream had nothing to do with the trial, or Levi for that matter.

He woke up in a field, surrounded by both human and Titan corpses. Armin feared everyone he once loved was dead, that he was left alone. But before he could start screaming, Marco appeared in front of him. ''Marco?'' he asked. Marco nodded. Armin continued ''I thought you died... after all, you never showed up for dinner.'' Marco nodded before saying, ''I am not going to be on this earth much is a hidden threath to the 104th.I intend to confront it. I probably won't survive, but it's the least, and last thing I can do for humanity. It could slow the conspirators down, or possibly weaken them.''

Armin nodded, he wasn't as brave as Marco, but understood why Marco wanted to do this. ''Take care of Jean, he is going to suffer when I die. He is a good friend.'' Armin nodded, while promising he would look after Jean. ''Oh, and Armin...'' Marco started, making Armin look up. ''...your secret is safe with me. But I think, much like Jean, that the Heichou is fond of you as well.'' Armin didn't quite understand, and didn't have time to ask, as the image of Marco disappeared.

He was woken up by Jean, who told him it was time for breakfast. Everyone was eating their breakfast peacefully, Sasha was talking to Mikasa, while Ymir was feeding Krista. Connie was eating loudly, and Bertholdt was talking to Connie. Even Annie was sitting with the rest of the girls. The room fell silent, as Reiner fell trough the door, blood all over his clothes. Knives clattered, and Bertholdt jumped up to help Reiner to his feet, as Reiner said: ''Titans are attacking the wall of Maria, the corps are on their way though. But there are too many titans, and it is going to be a bloodbath!''

Keith Shadis thought about it, it was true a lot of members from the Survey Corps had died, and there were not many left. ''We are going to help them, get your gear ready!'' he ordered, and everyone fell out and raced to get their gear ready. In no time at all, they were assembled in the courtyard, then followed Shadis in a wild ride towards the wall. Mikasa spurred her horse, hoping Eren would be safe. Krista cried softly, fearing many would lose their life.

''Change of plans, someone is on to us.'' Jean heard Reiner say, but didn't pay much attention to it. They travelled as fast as they could towards the great wall of Maria, but time had never gone slower for any of them. They could hear the beating of their own hearts, as most of them feared dying today. But nevertheless, it was something they were willing to do, even if they had to sacrifice themselves. Once they arrived at wall Maria, they saw the corps fighting with titans.

Armin quickly observed the area. From the looks of it, there were just regular titans, no intelligent ones. This was unusual, most of the time when there was a titan attack, they were being led by at least one intelligent titan. He was not the only one noticing it was far too easy, as many titans were being slaughtered in a short amount of time. ''Where is the leader?'' he heard Hanji yell, and ran towards her. ''I haven't seen one'' he told her. ''But when they were on the way, the armored titan was leading them.'' she said, as the last flock of titans was dispersed.

Then everyone turned quiet, as Erwin yelled at Shadis ''WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING! 'YOU SHOULDN'T ENDANGER ANY OF THE TRAINEES, EVER, YOU MORON!'' Shadis said nothing, as the silence around them grew awkward. The attack at first had seemed crucial, but had turned out to be just a minor one.

Then a horse arrived at the scene, with a man covered in blood. When the horse came to a stop, the man fell down. Jean reconized the fellow and ran towards him, screaming ''Marco!'' Armin's eyes widened, and he too ran towards the fallen man. Jean cradled Marco's head against his chest. ''Where did you go, what happened!'' he demanded. Armin saw Marco's head bleeding, and more major wounds. Jean went on saying ''We have to get you to the hospital, right away. You can lean on me'' Marco winced as he shook his head. ''It was the armored Titan, his name is...'' but before Marco could finish, Armin and Jean were pulled away by Levi and Eren, as a giant fist crashed onto Marco, who died promptly of the impact. Before them stood the female Titan.

''Where the hell did she come from!'' Connie yelled, as Jean screamed: ''Marco!'' , then Jean's knees gave in and he fell to the ground, almost as if he had lost the will to live. It made Armin sad, but there was nothing he could do to help Jean at this moment. ''Are you alright?'' a deeper voice asked, and he turned around to face Levi. Armin wanted to look fierce, wanted to assure Levi everything was just fine, but fact was, they weren't. He shook his head, and Levi held him for a while.

In the meantime Mikasa and Petra charged at the larger female creature, and the female Titan took her fighting pose. While Mikasa managed to lunge towards her chest and cut into it with her large sword, the female titan managed to hit Petra. Petra flew towards a tree, and made a loud crash. Hanji ran after her, hoping her friend was still alive. The female Titan advanced on Eren and Jean, but before the female Titan could reach them, a furious Mikasa finished her with several more forceful strikes.

As the Titan crashed against the ground, Mikasa aimed for the head. But the Titan did something Mikasa never expected. The Titan gave out a long, loud cry, causing Mikasa to step back in confusion. The scattered flock of titans came back, converging on the female Titan. Mikasa ran back to Eren, and they saw how the Titans started eating the defeated female Titan. ''That cry,'' Sasha stated, wide eyed, ''That cry was one that wolves also make. When they are heavily wounded and can't go on, they allow other wolves to eat them.'' They watched in horror as the flock of Titans finished of what remained of the female Titan, and wandered off again. Eren, Mikasa and Levi approached to where the Female Titan had fallen, hoping to find out who the female Titan had been, but they found nothing. The titan they had been fighting with was completely gone.

Meanwhile, Armin was comforting the crying Jean. ''He's gone.'' Jean cried, to which Armin replied ''I know. He tried his best to prevent the attack.'' Jean sniffed before saying ''He should have told us. We could have helped him. But shit, I never thought Marco would die'' Armin nodded, and pulled Jean into a hug. ''All humans are frail.'' a deeper voice said, making both of them look up. They spotted a grim-looking Reiner. ''I feel sorry we lost him.'' he continued. They nodded as they spotted Levi and Hanji coming towards them, Hanji carrying Petra. Hanji laid Petra on the ground. ''They didn't make it, Sir'' Hanji said, crying, pointing to Marco as well.

Levi was not one to lose his temper quickly, not in front of the corps. But this time his expression most definitely turned to anger as he commanded ''Everyone goes to the compound of the Survey Corps. That includes you, trainees.'' before ordering Hanji to put the corpses of Petra and the dead trainee on a cart. "Sir, I'm sorry Sir, but, Annie is missing'' a small voice said. Levi turned around to see Krista standing there. "Who the hell is Annie?" Levi replied. Krista didn't dare answer the furious commander, so Armin stepped in, saying, ''She's one of our group of trainees, Levi.'' ''That is Sir to you, recruit!'' Levi snapped before recognizing Armin. He turned away uncomfortably and quickly gave orders for a couple of veterans to form a search party, and then turned to Shadis. ''You join them. After you find her, report to commander Erwin, then we'll have a talk with you about your irresponsibillity.'', then he mounted his horse and led everyone back to the compound.

Armin, even though he was smaller, supported Jean. It took a while for the both of them to mount Jean's horse, and therefore Levi came back. ''What are you waiting for, another attack. Hurry up'' He told them, before looking to them. He spotted a boy that seemed almost lifeless, and one scared Amin. ''He has lost his best friend, Heichou.'' Armin said softly. Levi said nothing, as he too lost a friend he held dear. ''Come with me.'' he said, and they travelled back together. On their way to the compound, they came up to a large group of people, awaiting them, just to see the Corps come back. ''Yet another failed mission'' Armin heard someone say. He remembered how he, Mikasa and Eren always had looked up to returning members of the corps, and how they had hoped they once might be among them, to help the human race. An enraged man approached Levi, ''You bastard! She died, and for what? For another meaningless mission!'' he yelled as he closed on Levi, who used his horse to barrel the man away, brusquely saying, ''Even in death, she has more honor than you.'' then continued on towards the compound. They quickly left the angry masses behind and as they entered the compound, Hanji closed the doors, shutting the world, and angry crowds, outside.

Silence ruled the mess hall as everyone sat down, and thought about what just happened. Victory was bitter, as everyone present mourned a dead friend, be it Petra, or Marco. Armin still supported Jean, and Hanji softly told him, ''Go to the infirmary, and take care of him. He needs it.'' Armin nodded, and walked Jean to the infirmary. He put Jean to bed, and tried talking with him. ''Marco shouldn't have died.'' Jean muttered. ''I understand.'' Armin said. ''YOU DON'T ARMIN. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO LOSE SOMEONE THIS CLOSE TO YOU, AT ALL.'' Jean spat at him, making Armin wince. Tears grew in Armin's eyes, as he told Jean ''My granddad saved me from a Titan, and got eaten in the process. I witnessed everything. The man that raised me all that time, gone in the blink of an eye.'' Jean said nothing, didn't know what to say. ''But I don't mind you saying this. Because Marco was a dear friend to us all, he was a good man. I can't promise you revenge, nor can I be a replacement for Marco. But I'll do my best to be there for you, when you need me.'' Armin said, and even though tears rolled over his cheeks, Armin still smiled.

''I am sorry, Armin. I just...'' Jean started, but Armin shushed him, and pulled the blankets a little higher, so they covered Jean's broad shoulders. ''Go sleep. It will do you good.'' Armin said, and walked up to the door. ''Thanks Armin'' Jean said, and Armin smiled a little, then closed the door as he left the room.

Returning from the morgue, Levi saw Armin leaving the infirmary, he quickened his pace to catch up, and asked, ''How's your friend?'' Armin turned around and was relieved to see Levi. ''He's sleeping, it will do him good'' Armin told Levi. ''Why are you crying, Armin?'' Levi asked, as he swept some of the tears away. Just as Armin was about to answer, he felt a stinging pain in his head, and fainted on the spot. Levi caught him in time, realised there were no sleeping quarters for the trainees, and carried the now sleeping boy to his own room.


	4. You only have to learn important life lessons once.

Chapter four:

You only have to learn important life lessons once.

Armin woke up the next morning, sighing as he rubbed his temples. ''Does your head hurt?'' a gentle voice asked, and Armin nodded softly, before looking who spoke. He saw Eren, Mikasa, and Levi surrounding his bed. Mikasa on a chair beside the bed, Eren on the foot of the bed, and Levi leaning against the wall. ''Do you feel better now?'' a worried Eren asked, and Armin smiled before replying ''My head still hurts a little. What happened? And where am I?''Levi decided to answer those questions, as he had witnessed what happened. ''You fainted last night, after you put your friend into bed,'' he said. ''Therefore I let you sleep in my bed, so you could get a decent night's rest. It seems like you needed it.'' Armin thanked Levi. ''What next? Are we supposed to go back to the compound, along with Shadis?'' he asked, and an awkward silence grew in the room.

It was Mikasa who shook her head and said ''Shadis never came back, neither did Annie for that matter. Therefore the Corps has decided to let the recruits take their oath earlier. Our salute will be this afternoon.'' she said. ''I'll be there. How is Jean doing?'' Armin asked, while sitting up straighter. ''He's asleep'' Eren reassured Armin. ''Good. He needs it, after the loss of Marco.'' Armin said. ''I'm going to get breakfast. Do you want anything, Armin?'' Mikasa asked, while she got up. Eren got up as well, deciding he should tag along, because his stomach started rumbling. ''No thanks, but I'll try to get something to eat later on.'' Armin answered, Mikasa nodded, before she and Eren walked downstairs to the mess hall.

Levi, on the other hand, moved from the wall to the bed, and sat on the bedside. ''Heichou?'' Armin asked. ''You worried me, last night.'' Levi said, it almost seemed like a soft, caring voice. Armin took a closer look at Levi's face. Levi still had his bored expression, but nevertheless seemed nicer, more vulnerable then usual. Armin replied, ''I am sorry, I was exhausted, Sir.'' All the while his blue eyes kept exploring the emotions crossing over Levi's face. Levi placed his hand on Armin's cheek and caressed it. ''I am glad you're doing fine.'' he said, as his grey eyes looked back to Armin's blue ones. ''Sir?'' Armin asked, as Levi gazed back at him. ''You liked her, didn't you? You miss Petra, like we miss Marco?'' He continued asking and even though Levi wasn't one to talk about feelings, he nodded thoughtfully.

He did miss Petra a lot, even though she died but a few short hours ago, ''Have you ever lost someone?'' he suddenly asked, and Armin's eyes teared up. ''I have, Sir. Several times, to be honest.'' he told Levi, who said nothing, but was curious to hear what these traumatic experiences meant to Armin. Armin seemed to notice this, as he continued speaking. ''Even though Marco and Jean were best friends, I was fond of Marco as well. He was so gentle, and a great person to talk with. I am not sure whether or not I am able to process the fact he just died, before my own eyes.'' Armin fell silent before he continued ''But I don't have the time to process it, I have to help Jean see there was nothing he could have done to save Marco.'' Levi didn't know what to say, and therefore remained silent.

Armin took a deep breath before saying ''I almost lost Eren as well, when he jumped into a Titan's mouth to save me, I thought I had lost my best friend.'' Levi nodded to spur Armin on ''But the most important person I lost.., was the man who raised me. My grandfather was one of the most important people in my life, he taught me about the world outside the wall and protected me until the very end. When he was de...-'' Armin stopped to sob. ''...devoured'' he finally finished, then couldn't hold his tears anymore, put his hands before his face and started crying.

Levi stopped caressing Armin's cheek, only to move closer to Armin, and cupped Armin's chin to make the weeping boy look up. ''Armin'' he said softly. ''I am sorry, Sir. But I feel like I could have saved my grandfather. Then he would still be around, and travel around the world with me.'' Armin said. Levi pulled Armin into a protective hug, ''There was nothing you could have done for either Marco or your grandfather. Just as I couldn't have prevented Petra's death. The only thing that could have happened differently, is me dying in her place. It is the same with you and your grandfather, and it is probably how Jean feels about Marco. It is foolish to want that, though. I believe Petra wants me to live and continue our work so humanity will be safe, and the way I see it, your old man would want you to do so too.''

''Thank you, Levi...'' Armin said, but then noticed how close Levi was to his face. ''Levi'' he said again, blushing heavily. ''What is it, Armin?'' Levi said, but before Levi could lean in, the door openend behind them. ''Armin, I know you aren't hungry, but I still brought you an apple so...,'' then Eren froze as he saw how close his rival was to his childhood friend and he lost it.

''WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO ARMIN!'' Eren exclaimed, as Levi cursed him under his breath. ''Nothing particular, Brat. We're talking about how death affects people,'' Levi answered, as he disentangled himself from Armin, and got up. Eren was trembling with rage by then, and his right hand made a fist, as he approached Levi fiercely. When their heads almost touched, Eren hissed, ''Whatever you're doing to him, stop it. I forbid you to hurt him, or else I'll make it the last thing you do. Leave my friend alone.'', then swung his fist towards Levi's face, but that didn't even impress Levi who caught the fist in his hand and shrugged before replying ''Just try it and see what happens. But you're in no position to forbid me to talk to him.'' Then he let go of Eren's fist and walked out of the room.

Eren faced the weeping Armin, and gently sat down beside him. ''Did he hurt you? Because I swear to God, if he did..-'' Armin didn't give Eren a chance to finish his sentence, but looked up and said, ''He did not hurt me, on the contrary, he gave me the opportunity to share feelings I've kept for myself for such a long time.'' ''Armin...'' Eren said softly as he cupped Armin's cheek, but Armin pushed his arm away angrily. ''STOP PROTECTING ME LIKE THAT. HE WASN'T DOING ANYTHING WRONG, AND NOW, BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID, HE MAY NEVER SPEAK TO ME AGAIN!'' Armin screamed angrily, still crying. ''He is affecting you too much in a bad way'' Eren said, sounding hurt, but Armin would have none of that. ''He is NOT, Eren. Why won't you give him a chance?'' Eren glared before saying harshly, ''I'm sorry, Armin. But I won't allow anything to happen to you. You are my best friend and I care about you, you just can't trust everyone that is nice to you, especially not to such a bastard as Levi.''

''You are not my grandfather, Eren. Stop doing this, I can choose my own friends!'' Armin said. ''This isn't like you, Armin! This is exactly the reason I don't want you to befriend Levi, because he is changing you,'' Eren said, then continued in a softer tone; ''You are my best friend, Armin. I know what is best for you, and Levi isn't.'' Armin glared daggers at Eren before saying ''Right, best friend, and NOT my guardian. I am not some kind of porcelain doll you have to protect, I am a person. And as a person I have the right to befriend anyone I want to, no matter what they are like. I can judge that for myself perfectly fine, Eren.'' Before Eren could reply, Armin continued ''I don't feel like fighting, Eren. We're still good friends no matter what, right?'' Eren smiled before replying ''You're right, we're buddies, no matter what. I don't like fighting with you either, so I will try to keep calm around you and Levi, but I can't promise anything, he really gets on my nerves.''

Armin and Eren shared a hug. ''Thanks Eren, I really do appreciate that'' Armin said, once they broke the hug. ''Shall I go and get you another apple?'' Eren asked, as he walked to the door with Armin. ''Yes please, could you bring me two, at the infirmary? Jean might be hungry as well, and I want to see how he's doing'' Armin answered and Eren nodded lazily, saying he would bring one for the horseface as well. Armin wandered of to the infirmary, hoping Jean would be feeling slightly better.

Levi, on the other hand, had gone to his office, and now sat in his chair as he thought about what had just happened. 'If Eren hadn't walked in, things might have gone too far in the vulnerable state Armin is in.' Levi thought, when he heard a knock. ''Come in.'' he said in a bored tone, and saw Commander Erwin enter the room, concern written all over his face. ''A search party found Shadis and some other Survey members. They're dead. Only a small girl named Annie survived, and she's still in shock. Hanji is taking her to the infirmary. I thought we might have to discuss this, since the field was empty when we left.'' Erwin told him. ''That sounds like a serious concern.'' Levi replied. ''They found them severely wounded, but no signs indicate a Titan attack did occur after we left.'' Erwin said. ''That is a curious situation, what about the girl? Did she say anything?'' Levi asked, folding his hands. ''Not a word, we hope that in time, she can tell us what happened there.'' Erwin said. ''Very well, I propose we visit her when she recovers, and question her as to what happened out there, as she is the only eye-witness'' Levi said. Erwin nodded assent before making to leave, Levi however, bade him to stay. ''Wait. I do have something to discuss with you as well''. Erwin turned back, resigned, '' If this is about the cleaning-rosters again, then we will discuss that later on, after the trainees have taken their oath.'' he replied. Levi shook his head, and Erwin sat down again. ''It is about one of the trainees'' Levi said.

Erwin raised his eyebrows, wondering what Levi was thinking, as Levi continued: ''It is about Arlert. He was the one who came up with the plan to save wall Maria, letting Eren seal the wall in his Titan-form.'' Erwin knew about this part, and nodded at Levi to continue. ''I was thinking, maybe he should join us when next we plan our strategy. I think he might have unexpected insights, and we could use another tactician, besides the two of us.'' Levi proposed. Erwin considered this, before replying ''Sure, I don't see a problem with that. Is that all?'' Levi nodded, and Erwin left the room. Levi sighed, as his morning had started quite eventfull, something he hadn't expected. He anticipated the entire day would be a drag, due to the many things going on. He also figured this would be the only free time he would have to mourn the death of Petra. So he locked the door, making sure no one could bother him, as he shed a small tear, at the death of the red-headed girl.

Eren whistled as he brought the apples to the infirmary, only to find Armin smiling, while talking to Jean, and Hanji sitting next to a sleeping Annie, seemingly concerned. ''Hi,'' he said, as he approached Jean and Armin, and handed the apples to each of them. Though he wasn't close with Jean, Eren felt sorry for him. ''How are you doing?'' he asked Jean. ''I've slept well, but feel rotten all the same, I just wish Marco would still be alive'' Jean replied with a soft voice. Armin noticed the change in their behaviour, and stood up. ''Where are you going?'' Jean asked. ''Nowhere in particular. I just think you and Eren should talk a little, it will do you good.'' Armin said, and motioned for Eren to sit down. Eren smiled, and sat down. ''I'm not sure how you feel, Kirchstein, but I do know I would feel bad too, if had lost my best friend.''

Jean nodded ''It is not that I have lost Marco. Sure, I do feel bad about that, and I don't know how to process that yet, but that is not the part bothering me.'' Jean told both of them, making Eren confused, and Armin look at Jean with sympathy. ''It is that you think you could have prevented it, by talking with Marco, instead of him talking with Reiner about whatever had been bothering him.'' Armin said, and Jean nodded. Eren still had no clue on what they were talking about, but noticed the tension between them. Jean hestitated before asking ''Do you agree with me, Armin?'' Armin wasn't sure how he should answer this question, but before he could, Hanji joined them ''That's a ridiculous thing to say. It's like asking wether I could have stopped the attack on Sonny and Bean, without even knowing anyone would attack those sweethearts. The only thing we can do is honor their memory and fight for humanity, but don't stop there, move on with your life, it's what they would have wanted for us''.

All three of them turned silent after her sudden outburst,before Jean started laughing. Eren joined him soon enough, while Armin remained silent. Hanji smiled, as the boy finally was doing something other then moping. ''You're right,'' Jean suddenly started ''I should quit moping, Marco would hate to see me doing that. I was planning to join the Military Police before, but I think I can do even more for the city by joining the Survey Corps.'' Hanji replied, ''The oath is in less than three hours, we'd be glad to have you.'' Jean nodded, making Armin and Eren smile. ''It's good to hear you say that, Jean. We are going to let you rest a little.'' Eren said, whereupon Jean nodded thanks. Eren left the room first, to train awhile with Mikasa, and Hanji went to Levi, reporting about the state Annie was in. ''Armin, I still would like to hear your answer.'' Jean suddenly requested. Armin replied, ''To be honest, I agree with what Hanji just said. But I didn't know how to put it in words. I still feel the same about everyone that died, and that includes Marco. I was his friend as well, and... shit!'' he cried. ''Armin?'' Jean asked, pulling the petite boy in a hug.

''I don't want people I care about to die anymore.'' Armin sobbed, and Jean nodded, before using his thumb to wipe some tears away. ''Armin, things can change if we put our minds to it. We have learned from our experiences, and I can only conclude one thing. If we choose to join the Survey, we have the best chance to fight for a better world.'' he told Armin, seeing the blond nod thoughtfully. ''Hey, I do like your company, but I kinda want to rest. Do you mind?'' Jean asked. Armin shook his head as he replied ''Not at all, see you at the oath.'' before walking out of the infirmary. Just as Annie opened her eyes...


	5. Chapter 5: Big brother Reiner and big sister Mikasa.

Chapter 5: Big brother Reiner and big sister Mikasa.

Once Armin left the infirmary, his stomach started to rumble. The apple had been nice, but it didn't fill his stomach. ''Where's the mess hall again?'' Armin wondered out loud. He had only been here for a short while, and they never finished the tour when he got here the first time. ''You want to join me? I was going to grab a bite as well.'' he heard a voice say, before spotting Bertholdt.

''That would be nice, thank you very much.'' Armin said, before Bertholdt led them to the mess hall. ''Not to be rude, but where's Reiner?'' Armin asked as they walked down the hall. ''He's flirting with Krista, and probably getting his ass kicked by Ymir.'' Bertholdt answered, making both of them laugh at the virtual image. ''Why do you ask though?'' Bertholdt asked. ''I just wanted to talk to him, he is kinda like a big brother to me, and there's a lot going on in my life right now. But I can always talk to him later.'' Armin answered. They entered the empty mess hall. ''Looks like we can eat in peace.'' Bertholdt said, and Armin nodded. They each grabbed a plate and some bread before sitting down and eating.

''Are you going to the oath today?'' Bertholdt asked, Armin nodded. ''I am looking forward to it, I just never expected it to happen this fast.'' he said. Bertholdt smiled, and Armin decided to ask wether he was going as well. ''I am going, but I am not going to take the oath. I am planning on joining the Military Police, just like Annie.'' Bertholdt said. ''Well, I wish you the best in the Military Police, I think you'll be a great officer.'' Armin said, just as Reiner came in. ''What's up.'' he said to Bertholdt, who just laughed and told him everything was fine. ''Hey Armin, feeling better?'' Reiner asked, and Armin nodded. Bertholdt stood up as he announced ''I'm going to check on Annie, Hanji told me she was found this morning, but she was in shock. Maybe she'd like to see familiar face by now.'' and he left.

''I was actually looking for you, Reiner'' Armin said, surprising the taller boy. ''What for?'' Reiner asked as he settled down. ''I was just wondering about something. Before Marco died, something was on his mind, and he told Jean and me that he would talk with you. That night both of you were gone, so I assume he did talk to you. So, I wondered, what did he want to tell you?'' Armin asked. Reiner's expression changed into something Armin couldn't quite place, before he answered, ''He did talk to me. We didn't talk about anything in particulair though, at least nothing that seemed to bother him. Just like we usually talk.'' Armin smiled, his talks with Reiner were always nice. He was much like that big brother you trust, and tell all that is going on, or that you ask for help when you are doing something wrong, or can't reach something. ''I see.'' Armin answered.

''Was that all? Because I wanted to go and see Annie as well.'' Reiner said, starting to rise. ''Well, nothing special I wanted to talk about, so I think that's about it.'' Armin said. Reiner nodded, before he went to see Annie, leaving Armin alone with his food and thoughts. 'That is strange, I really wonder what had been bothering Marco. He talked about something horrible, something that would be a threath. He wanted to discuss it with Reiner, so why didn't he?'

Before Armin had any time to wonder more about it, Krista and Ymir came in and sat next to him. ''Ugh, I really hate that bastard!'' Ymir said, with a rather angry expression. Krista tried to calm the taller teen, with the keyword being tried. ''I suppose you're talking about Reiner?'' Armin asked Ymir, who turned an interesting shade of red. ''Don't even mention that goddamn prick. He and his oh so big ego should just scram, before I kick his fucking arse.'' she ranted, making Krista blush because of her friend's behaviour. Armin turned to Krista, asking ''What happened this time?''

''Ymir and I were chatting, before Reiner joined in and started to flirt with me, and completely ignored Ymir. So, after a while, when Reiner touched my shoulder and leaned in to whisper something, Ymir snapped. The two of them fought, which commander Erwin saw, and he punished Ymir, who had just thrown a punch in Reiner's face. She has to do all the dishes tonight.'' Krista explained. ''It's not fair!'' the taller teen said before hitting her forehead on the table, Armin and Krista sweatdropped, before Krista patted Ymir's back. ''And how are you doing? I heard you fainted last night, is everything alright.'' Krista asked Armin. ''Yeah, I was just kinda tired. A lot has happened over the last days, and now we are about to join the Survey, time just goes by way too fast, or so it seems.'' Armin said. Krista nodded, understanding what Armin meant.

They finished their meals, and Armin went his own way when Ymir claimed she was going to take a piss. Krista was following her, to ensure her tall friend would stay out of trouble. Armin decided he should explore the building a little. They were going to be here for a while anyway, so better get used to it. He walked around for a bit, before he met up with Hanji. ''Ah Armin, how are you feeling?'' she asked. ''Good. I'm exploring the building for a bit.'' he answered. The already excited woman gave a big grin, before grabbing his arm and saying ''Good! So you're doing nothing special. Then follow me.'' she dragged him into her office. Armin gulped as the Titan-crazed woman almost slammed the door shut, with sheer enthousiasm.

''Can I.., help with anything?'' Armin asked her, with uncertainty present in his voice. Hanji plunked down in her seat, before looking at Armin. ''Just sit down, Armin.'' she told him, and Armin sat across from her. ''Levi has been a longtime friend of mine. He never cared about anything other then killing Titans, and, of course, cleaning. So, how did you do it?'' she asked him, making Armin look at her confused. ''What do you mean?'' he asked. ''Haven't you seen the signs? They way he talks to you, the things he does, just because you ask it. The lustful glint he's got in his eyes when he looks at you?'' she asked, taking her glasses off, wiping them, then putting them back on. She pointed to Armin, ''Levi's fond of you, in a good way. And from what I see, you feel the same.'' she told him. ''Ehrr...'', Armin blushed.

''Take care of him, Armin. He needs it after the loss of Petra. He used to be sort of close to her, before she, well, you know what happened.'' she rambled. ''I- ehr..., sure?'' he answered, not sure why he was commiting to that, while Levi could take care of himself pretty well. ''Well, that is all I wanted to say. The confession itself is between the two of you. But know I'm rooting for you guys.'' she told him cheerfully. Then she looked at the clock, before saying ''Oh, the oath is within half an hour, I've got to prepare a lot of things, so if you would excuse me?'' Armin nodded, and left the office, rather confused.

Half an hour passed faster then Armin had expected, and soon enough they were gathered outside. Commander Erwin stood on a stage, facing each and every trainee there was, while the rest of the Corps was lined up next to the stage. Armin took a look around, the mood was a very serious one, and almost everyone was there, even Reiner! Armin smiled a little as he spotted Jean, standing between Connie and Sasha.

Erwin coughed before he spoke up, with a clear voice ''For those that don't know me, I'm commander Survey Corps is always looking for talented recruits. I will be honest with each and every one of you, the odds of survival will be rather small for most of you. But do not forget, that when you die out there, you die with dignity. Ask yourselves if you really have it in you to sacrifice your life for humanity. That's all, for those of you who wish to join another division, you are dismissed.'' Armin heard someone leave the room, when he turned around, he spotted Bertholdt leaving.

The rest of them had a terrified demeanor, both Sasha and Krista slowly started crying a little. Mikasa's and Ymir's expressions were rather unreadable, but it seemed they were ready for everything that was bound to come. The message Erwin had given them was a clear one. Armin had figured out earlier that it was common sense that few would survive, but it was for a greater cause. It was a frightening thought, but it was the truth as well. Once Erwin saw that none of the trainees were going to leave, he spoke again: ''Very well! I welcome the newest members of the Survey Corps. This is my real salute, devote your hearts to the cause.'' He pressed his right fist against his chest, and the ex-trainees followed suit. ''Yes, Sir'' they replied. ''You have withstood your fear well... you're all brave soldiers. You have my heartfelt respect.'' Erwin finished his speech and left the stage.

The crowd dispersed. ''That was intense.'' Jean told Armin, as they headed to the office that belonged to the Commander. Once they got there, they found Erwin talking to Mikasa, who nodded fiercely during the conversation. Erwin suddenly stopped talking, a sign that the conversation was over. Before he entered his office, he spotted Armin and Jean. ''You had something to ask?'' he said. It was Jean who nodded, making Erwin slightly suprised. ''I have a request, Sir. I'd rather speak with you in private, Sir.'' Jean said. Erwin nodded, allowing Jean to enter his office, before he closed the door behind them. ''Mikasa...'' Armin started, making the girl look at him. ''Yes Armin?'' she asked, wondering what the blond wanted to share.

''I wanted to talk with you, that is, if you have the time for a short conversation.'' Armin said. ''Anytime for you, Armin.'' Mikasa answered, and they walked outside the compound again, to the bridge. ''Remember what you told me last time?'' Armin asked, while they were on their way. Mikasa nodded, remembering the conversation they had before, ''Armin, I'm concerned about Heichou's recent actions.'' Armin's eyes had widened a little, ''How come? Do you think he is up to something that could be a threath to Eren?'' He asked her. Mikasa had replied ''I think he is up to something, and I believe it has something to do with you. He is constantly around, and acting nice only to you. Haven't you noticed?'

Mikasa wondered why he brought that up just now? Had she scared him too much, being honest? She had noticed Armin hadn't been himself lately. It seemed he was preoccupied, something was bothering him, but she never managed to put her finger on it. Was Levi scaring him that much, due to the fact she had brought it up?''I wanted to talk you about that-'' Armin broke her chain of thought. ''I understand, I never intended to make the Heichou scary for you, Armin. I don't trust too many people, and he does give of a weird vibe sometimes'' she told him. ''Huh,-'' Confusion grew in Armin's eyes, and Mikasa wondered if she had said something wrong.

''-that's not what I wanted to say. I talked with Jean a few days ago, about what happened. He figured that Levi was kinda fond of me. I laughed at it that time, but the more I see him, and think of it, the more I'm starting to like the thought. Hanji told me the same thing today, and wished us the best.'' Armin said. ''What do you mean, Armin?'' Mikasa asked, confused about what the boy was telling her. ''I think I like Levi, Mikasa. I think I'm starting to like him a lot, and I don't know what I am going to do about it. Eren didn't like it, or so it seemed this morning, so maybe I should ignore it.''

Mikasa had heard about what happened in the morning. Eren was pissed off indeed, but Mikasa didn't see any problem. So what, if Armin liked Levi, it was his life, and his choice. And as friends, you can only support your friend's happiness. So she said, ''That's bullshit, and you know it, Armin. You are smart enough to know that feelings shouldn't be denied, especially regarding feelings such as happiness, and love. I don't care who you date, hell, I even would support you if you would be dating a fucking Titan.'' she told him, making Armin giggle. ''What I'm saying is it doesn't matter what Eren, or I, think. As long as you're happy, we support the choices you make, Armin. And if it so happens that being with Levi makes you happy, than that's alright. Let me deal with Eren, okay?''

Armin tugged a strand of hair behind his left ear, before replying, ''Thanks Mikasa, you're a great friend.'' Mikasa smiled before pulling Armin in a hug. ''My babies are growing up so fast...'' she said teasingly, as she let go of him. ''Mikasa...'' Armin grumbled. ''What's your next step, are you going to confess?'' Mikasa asked. ''I don't know, I'm not sure about what to do next. I mean, I'm not sure about whether he feels the same.'' Armin responded, whilst they headed back to the compound. ''I think you should talk with him about it. Who knows, he may be nice every once in a while, and possibly become a human being while dating you.'' Mikasa joked. ''Mikasa, that is not a very nice thing to say. Besides, Levi's really nice once you get to know him a little. Anyway, I'm too nervous to tell him yet.'' Armin said blushing. As they approached the gates, Levi, Erwin and Jean came out, Jean was leading a horse. ''Tell who what?'' Jean asked, eyeing Mikasa and Armin suspiciously. ''No-one in particular about nothing in particular.'' Mikasa told him flippantly, she felt Jean had nothing to do with it.

''Where are you going, Jean?'' Armin asked. ''I'm heading to the Bott residence, to tell them their son has passed away.'' Jean said. Armin didn't know what to say, but knew he was proud of how Jean was dealing with Marco's death. ''You better be back within the three day limit.'' Erwin said, and Jean nodded, then mounted the horse. ''See you soon!'' Armin said, before Jean left. ''I'm going to see how Eren's doing'' Mikasa said, and she left as well. Erwin shrugged before saying ''Arlert, we're going to formulate new plans, for the next attack on the Titans. From what I've heard, you've got quite a strategic mind as well, so I'd like you to join in.''

''You mean, right now?'' Armin asked, Erwin nodded. ''Please follow me.'' he said, as motioned them to follow him to his office. They followed him, but Armin was not sure what he should be thinking. Erwin and Levi were both great strategists, so what did they need a rookie like him for? Soon he entered the office and as looked around, he was impressed by what he saw there, the office was bigger than he expected. There was a big wooden desk, papers and maps were spread all over it. There were four chairs surrounding the desk, on one of them sat Hanji, waving to them before they settled down. The window behind the desk provided just enough light to make the room cozy.

''Levi and I have been discussing one of these plans for a long time. Usually we agree pretty fast, but somehow we just can't seem to agree on this particular plan we need for the next week. Therefore I called Hanji and you in, we need you to give your opinion on this plan.'' Erwin explained, while he sat down and grabbed one of the maps. Levi followed his example, and Armin hesitated before sitting next to Hanji. ''The town called Trost has been attacked many times. This is because it's located on the south side of Wall Maria. The wall that recieves a lot of attacks, and therefore Trost is a town that gets evacuated and destroyed a lot.'' Levi explained.

Armin understood this much, Jean had told him many times about Trost, as it was his home town. The numerous attacks were a huge problem, and Armin wondered what Erwin and Levi came up with, for the town of Trost to be, or at least, to feel safe. Erwin continued, ''One of our scouts is standing guard. He'll contact us when there are signs of an imminent Titan attack. When he does, we are going to battle, for the sake of Trost, in hope no Titan will ever return. That is, if every Titan, especially the intellegent ones, comes to the battle.'' Hanji replied, ''But that would require us to field most of the Survey Corps, not to mention how unrealistic it is. We don't know what the titans are up to, or when they are planning an attack.''

''That may be true, but I've come up with a plan to make the titans attack. If you guys agree, we'll prepare, and execute the plan next week.'' Erwin said. Both Armin and Hanji grew curious about what the older man had come up with. ''During our last battle with the female titan, she let out a cry causing all the titans in the neighbourhood to converge upon her position.'' Erwin explained. Hanji and Armin remembered this clearly, suddenly Hanji's eyes widened: ''You mean that you intend to use Eren, as Titan shifter, to do the same thing?'' she asked. Erwin nodded, while Levi said: ''This is where I strongly disagree. I think we should lure the female Titan, and use her cries instead. There's no guarantee that it will work with Yeager as well.''

Armin grew uncomfortable at the mention of Eren, did they forget Eren was not just a Titan, but a human as well? ''Cadet Arlert, what do you think?'' Erwin asked. ''With all due respect, Sir, but I'd agree with the Heichou. His plan seems more realistic, provided that we can locate the female titan. If we don't, we've Eren as a eventual back-up. Eren is a great fighter, and I believe he'd much prefer to fight against the titans, rather than being a lure.'' Armin said. Erwin nodded, understanding what the smaller boy was saying, and Hanji sincerely seemed to agree.

Hanji said, ''Problem is that the female Titan has been devoured. But we could try to reproduce the sound of her cry. When I heard it, it sounded a bit like the cry of a dying horse. If we manufacture some apparatus, maybe a kind of horn, that modulates and amplifies the horses cries, we might be able to reproduce the Titan cry.'' ''That's a decent suggestion, but we're not sure the sound of a dying horse is the exact same sound as the cry of the female titan.'' Erwin said. ''Ah, Sir, I think I've got an idea,'' Armin interrupted, ''A friend of mine, named Sasha, grew up in a village near a forest. She was there when the female Titan cried out. Sasha has sharp hearing, and a great knowledge of animals. Perhaps she might be able to tell us what creature's cry is the closest match to the Titan's cry.''

''That might actually work,'' Erwin said, making Levi nod in agreement. ''I think we should summon Sasha. After she identifies a likely animal, we can come up with a device.'' Erwin continued, then eyed the clock. ''Seeing it's almost six o' clock and therefore time for supper, I propose we'll continue this meeting tomorrow'' he said.

''Thank you for inviting me to this meeting.'' Armin said, as they stood up. ''You're welcome to join in anytime, Cadet. In fact, we would be honored if you would join the next meeting as well.'' Erwin said, and Hanji coulnd't agree more. As Erwin left the room, Levi said, ''I told you he would be a valuable asset.'' Armin stared at Levi in amazement. ''You arranged this for me?'' he asked, and Levi stared back, while nodding yes. For the third time in the short while since he met Levi, Armin couldn't bring himself to break eye-contact. Hanji sensed the mood, and smiled a little before she quietly left the room, closing the door behind her. ''That was very nice of you, I do enjoy strategizing.'' Armin said blushing. Levi smiled before telling Armin, ''It would too bad if we would be wasting your talent by not using it.''

He walked to the door, passing the blushing boy. ''Levi,'' they boy started, making the Heichou look at him. ''Yes, Armin?'' he asked, wondering what Armin was about to say. The thing was, Armin wasn't sure himself how he should say what he wanted to say, or he didn't find the courage ''I- ehr, I look forward to the next meeting.'' he said, in a defeated tone. Levi smiled, ''I'm glad you're saying that. Come, let's go to the mess hall. You need to eat something, my treat.'' Levi grinned, opening the door.

Armin followed him, they walked in a comfortable silence. ''Levi?'' Armin tried again, making Levi look at him. Once again, Armin found himself nervous, and asked something other than his intention had been ''What is the first thing you would do once the Titans are defeated?'' Armin asked. Levi's expression changed to a slightly suprised one, he had never really thought about it. ''I never gave it much thought, to be honest. I think I would help to rebuild the damage that is done, assuming the last battle will leave quite a mess. I always figured I would be forced to marry Petra, her father used to be quite persistent about me entering into a relationship with her. But that's out of the picture. Maybe I'll travel the world, and fight other dangers.'' Levi told him, before asking ''Why do you want to know?''

They entered the mess hall, and each grabbed a plate, as Armin answered: ''I'm curious, it seems surreal that everything will be over one day. It's good to strive for something, to have a goal.'' Armin answered, eyeing askance some substance he was unfamiliar with being put on his plate. ''Sit with me, and talk to me more about what your goal is.'' Levi requested, and Armin glanced towards the table where his friends were sitting. Eren saw him, and waved, Armin waved back, before turning back to Levi and nodding. He followed Levi to the table and sat down. Eren frowned, as he saw Armin follow Levi.

''What's with that?'' he said to Mikasa, who just shrugged. She tried to eat her dinner properly, but it was hard to do, since Sasha hung on her arm, telling some silly story. ''What do you mean, Yeager?'' Ymir said, tearing her eyes away from Krista, who was sitting next to her, chatting with Reiner. ''Eren is whining about the fact that Armin is talking with Levi.'' Mikasa said, motioning to where Armin was sitting. He was talking rather enthousiastically, while Levi nodded. ''He's probably talking about the ocean again, you know how he gets when he talks about that. Just let him be.'' Reiner said, joining the conversation as well. ''I think it's cute Armin found someone to talk with.'' Krista said, and Sasha nodded. Eren grumbled something, and it was Ymir who said: ''I'd agree with Yeager. That midget is talking a lot to Armin lately, and he's still someone we don't know. Not to mention he kicked the hell out of Eren during the trial.''

''You guys are insane. Armin seems to trust him, and isn't that all that matters?'' Connie said, and Mikasa for once, agreed with him. They looked over again, to see how Levi said something to Armin, before pointing to them, especially to Eren. Armin frowned a little, before smiling, nodding to Levi. Then Armin said something before he stood up and walked to them. Mikasa elbowed Eren's side harshly, before muttering ''Idiot''. Armin joined them, and Connie asked what he had been talking about. ''I was telling him about my life goal, to see the ocean. There was some information he could share about it, it was interesting.'' Armin said, before sitting between Mikasa and Eren, who rubbed his side a little. ''Told you so.'' Reiner said, and Bertholdt smiled. ''Any news about Annie?'' Krista suddenly asked Bertholdt, who nodded. ''She's stable now, and thinking of joining the MP, or Scouting legion, soon.'' he said. ''That's good to hear'' Sasha said.

While they continued chatting, Levi had joined Erwin. ''Were you discussing the strategy?'' Erwin asked, Levi shook his head. ''We were just talking about the ocean.'' he answered, and Erwin stared at him. ''Arlert is a likeable fellow, isn't he?'' Erwin asked, Levi just stared at him. ''He's smart, and neat. So.., I suppose he's a likeable fellow.'' Levi said, making Erwin smile proudly.

Soon evening fell, and everyone headed for their beds. With the exception of Ymir, who was cursing, doing the dishes. It didn't help that Levi was watching her, and told her to redo it, everytime he didn't think it was clean enough. Armin, however, was worn out, and climbed into his bed, falling into a deep and nice slumber pretty fast. That was, until he started dreaming again.


	6. Inner Conflict

Chapter six

Inner conflict.

As peaceful as Armin's slumber had begun, it was not long before the blond did start to dream again. He groaned a little, as he drifted into his long, deep sleep.

He was walking trough an empty corridor, a dim light present, just enough to barely see where you were walking. As Armin looked around, not seeing much besides tiles, bricks and darkness, he wondered where he was. That was, until he heard footsteps. ''Hello, is anyone there?'' Armin called out. Whatever was walking there, wasn't answering him. It just continued walking, until Armin suddenly heard a scream and a loud crash. As frightened as Armin was, he still decided to approach the sounds. He heard someone run away, but forgot about it the second he spotted an injured person on the floor. 

Armin knelt beside the person, only to face Eren. ''Eren?'' he asked hesitantly, and Eren nodded. ''Armin, I'm not feeling to well.'' he groaned, as Armin tried to see what was wrong. He suddenly spotted a blood stain near Eren's heart, and tore open the other boy's shirt, he gasped at the sight. ''Eren, you're...'' his voice faltered when Eren nodded, and groaned before his body became limp. ''Eren, EREN!'' Armin cried, wondering what the hell was going on. He tried to check for a pulse, but didn't find it. 

''You could have prevented this.'' a voice suddenly said. Armin regonized the voice, it was the voice of his own grandfather. ''Granddad, what do you mean?'' he asked, but saw no one to talk to. He turned to Eren again, slumped over him, and started crying. ''He did nothing to deserve this.'' he said in agony. ''You're a child of bad omen, Armin.'' the voice said, making Armin cry even harder.

''Someone help me!'' Armin pleaded, as he pressed his hands against his ears, hoping he wouldn't be able to hear the voice anymore. Another voice joined the first, one Armin couldn't quite regonize. ''Why don't you give up, Armin? There is no way humans will ever beat the Titans, no way you'll survive. Why don't you flee while you can? You don't want to die like the rest did, do you?'' the voice told him, and Armin's eyes widened while he got up. ''What are you talking about?'' he screamed, and then the lights turned on. Armin had to blink a few times, before he could see again, but the moment he could, he wished he wasn't able to see anything at all. Each and every one of his friends was lying dead on these cold, hard tiles. Some bodies carried grievous wounds, others looked like they used to, an empty shell of their former selves.

''Aaah!'' Armin screamed, as he fell down onto his knees. ''See what I mean'' the second voice said again, and Armin started crying. ''Leave Armin. Leave and don't look back'' the first voice spoke to him. Armin's eyes became dull, as he wanted to answer but didn't have the power to do so. He suddenly heard light footsteps, this time approaching Armin. Armin didn't have the courage to look, as he figured it could be the murderer, or perhaps even a Titan. He just wished whoever it was, would hurry up. He didn't want to be a sole survivor, if the rest died in a massacre, he'd rather join them. 

''Nice try, but Armin here is going nowhere. We're going to fight you, and we'll win the battle for the future of humanity.'' the owner of the footsteps said, and touched Armin's shoulder. 'Levi!' Armin thought, as he looked up, eyes shaken with fear. ''Don't be foolish, you'll be killed.'' the voice replied, but Levi just shrugged. ''I'd rather die, than flee like a coward.'' he said, and Armin nodded heartfelt agreement. 

Suddenly Armin was shaken awake, and he looked up, even though it was hard to see in the dark, ''Armin, are you alright?'' Eren's voice whispered, and Armin smiled, at hearing Eren's voice. ''I'm glad you're alive, Eren.'' he said, with a tiny voice. ''Ehr.., okay? I heard you screaming, and moaning a little, did you have a nightmare? Appearently you did have one, if you think I'm dead'' Eren whispered, and gently stroked Armin's forehead. Armin nodded, ''I did have one, but it's alright now.'' Armin said, while tears grew in his eyes, as he remembered the dream.

''Is it really? Because we can talk, if you want to.'' Eren whispered. ''Won't we disturb the others, if we talk too long. We can talk in the morning, and get some rest now.'' Armin replied, in a soft voice. ''Are you sure?'' Eren asked, and Armin nodded. ''Okay, we'll talk in the morning then.'' Eren said, and retreated to his bed. ''Sweet dreams, Eren'' Armin said, and then fell asleep again. This time, he dreamed more pleasantly.

Armin blinked his eyes a few times, he was back at the trial, again. It just ended, and a battered Eren was being supported by two Surveyors, as the crowd dispersed. ''Why am I back here again?'' Armin said, not fully understanding what was going on. It didn't make sense, he was through with the trial. Eren was fine, so it wasn't traumatic. ''Why do you think, Armin?'' Levi asked, as he walked towards him. ''Levi? That's not right, I followed you that time. You aren't even supposed to know my name.'' Armin said, while Levi approached him, and replied ''Armin, these dreams aren't meant to process the trial anymore. Don't you remember, this is where you spoke to me for the first time.'' as he motioned Armin to sit down. Armin took a seat, and Levi sat beside him. ''Then, why am I dreaming about this? These dreams are wearing me out!'' Armin said.

''Then tell me what is on your mind, for real. You only dream this, because there is something you'd like to share.'' Levi told him. Armin huffed before saying ''I think it's highly inappropriate to share such a thing, Sir'' Levi shrugged before saying, ''See if I care. I don't consider many things to be inappropriate, unless you're about to share a Titan fetish you've got.'' Armin sighed before saying, ''Fine, here goes nothing. Heichou, I mean, Levi, I think I have taken a liking to you.'' Armin didn't have the nerve to look at Levi's reaction, and so kept staring to the the ground. But soon enough, his chin was gently lifted, and Levi stared straight into his own ocean blue eyes. 

''See, it isn't that hard. But to be quite honest, I am fancying you as well.'' Levi said, as he leaned in, and pressed his lips onto Armin's. Armin found himself shocked, but blissfully so. After the shock faded, he pressed back, and threw his arm over Levi's shoulders. Before things could take their natural course, however, Armin heard Connie's voice. 

''Oi, Armin. Wake up!'' Connie called, and dragged Armin out of bed. A bewildered Armin stared at Connie, as he laid on the ground. ''What the hell, Connie?'' he said, as Connie grinned sheepishly. ''It's time for breakfast, so I woke you up, slightly later then the rest though. It seemed like you had a nice dream, who was the lucky girl?'' Connie asked. ''Ehr, what do you mean?'' Armin asked. ''You were kissing with your pillow, just now. Don't worry, I won't tell the rest, you little Casanova'' Connie told him, ''Now hurry up. Breakfast is over in half an hour, and Mikasa wanted to leave to save your arse from whatever was keeping you up.'' ''Thanks Connie, I'll be on my way.'' Armin grumbled, and Connie left the room.

Armin got dressed, combed his hair and hurried to the mess hall, so he had some time left for breakfast. He spotted a tired Ymir, grumbling about plates, and cleaning them while some midget was watching her. He figured she had had a weird dream as well. ''Don't worry, Levi doesn't return until this afternoon. He's guiding Annie and Bertholdt to the MP, so they can train there.'' Eren said, understanding what Ymir was going on about. ''Well, I'm going to miss them.'' Reiner said, and most among them nodded in understanding. ''How come you're so late, Armin?'' Sasha asked, Mikasa gave Armin a worried look. ''I was lost in a nice dream, and didn't hear the rest as they got up. It's a good thing Connie woke me up, or else I would probably still be sleeping.'' Armin told her.

Soon they were done with breakfast, and Erwin gave them their orders. Sasha had to scrub the floor, along with Connie and Mikasa. Eren and Armin had to do the dishes, and Ymir, Krista and Reiner had to brush the horses. When the rest of the cadets had left for their duty, Eren and Armin started to gather the used plates. ''So, what was it about?'' Eren suddenly asked. ''Huh?'' Armin replied, as he stared in confusion at his best friend. ''Your nightmare, what was it about?'' Eren repeated...

When the chores had been handed out, Levi left with Annie and Bertholdt. They mounted their horses, and headed towards the headquarters of the MP. Levi took the lead, while Bertholdt and Annie followed, chatting quietly. ''Does Reiner know when he has to start the attack?'' Annie whispered, and Bertholdt nodded. ''Once we are further away, but just far enough to retreat faster then this midget, we shift into Titan form. Reiner will be able to see us from this distance, so that's the moment he changes into the armored Titan'' he whispered back. Just as Annie was about to reply, Levi turned his head around, and shouted, ''Oi, pick up the pace, we haven't got the entire day!'' and then rode a little faster. Bertholdt and Annie smirked as they followed his lead.

Meanwhile in the kitchen: ''Well.., it was frightening. At first I was in this dark, empty corridor, I could hardly see a thing. Then I suddenly heard a voice and found you, severely wounded. You died in my arms, and, out of nowhere, two voices started talking to me.'' Armin told, as they carried the plates to the kitchen, and dumped them into the tub. ''Sounds scary.'' Eren said, checking the temperature of the water in the huge pan that hung over the fire. ''That was just the start. After the voices started talking, which was horrible, the lights turned on, and I saw every one of you dead. I lost hope, but..,'' Armin hesitated, asking himself whether he should continue or not.

Levi and the two cadets had gotten quite far when Levi suddenly slowed the pace and stopped. ''Something wrong?'' Bertholdt asked, as Annie eyed Levi suspiciously. ''You really must be idiots if you don't think I'm onto your plan.'' Levi told them, as he drew his sword. ''What do you mean?'' Annie asked, in a harsh tone. This wasn't according to plan, and there was just no way Levi could know about their identities. ''First of all, I did have my suspicions about you, the second you disappeared when the female titan attacked'' Levi said, as he pointed at Annie. ''I've got to admit, it was a nice act when you pretended to be in shock after you were found. But after you were found, Hannah and Franz were send to the place the attack had occured, to see if there was that much of a treath. Guess what, they didn't find anything but Titan foot prints. And I'm not deaf, or stupid. I overheard you talking earlier. So, you really think one Titan could defeat the entire corps, while I'm fighting with you, think again.'' Levi said, attaching the wires of his 3DM gear to a nearby tree.

''Then what? Tell me, Armin'' Eren said, as he poured hot water on the dishes, and added a little cold water, before he started scrubbing them. ''Eren, the content of the nightmare isn't really important. What does count is the meaning it has.'' Armin told him, as he started drying a plate Eren handed him. ''What are you talking about?'' Eren asked, washing another plate. ''Eren, the dreams I had lately, including the nightmare, made me realise that I fell in love with someone.'' Armin replied, with a blush present on his cheeks. Eren's mouth fell open, then he said in an excited voice, ''That's great Armin. So, who's the lucky girl?''

''Ehr, thing is Eren, the one I fell in love with is..,'' Once again Armin hesitated, before continuing ''Ah, screw it. Eren, I'm in love with Levi.'' Armin said. Eren gasped, and dropped one of the plates he was about to hand Armin, it crashed loudly on the floor. ''You're what!'' Eren exclaimed, not caring one bit about the broken plate. ''I'm in love with Levi.'' Armin repeated in an excited tone. He never said it before, it felt so right to be able to say it out loud.

Annie narrowed her eyes, as Bertholdt laughed. ''That was very clever, but, yes, we do think Reiner is able to handle the situation for the time being. After all, it's two against one.'' he said and bit on his hand, before turning into the 50-foot Titan. Annie followed his example, and Levi jumped up, as he aimed for Annie's head. Bertholdt jumped in front of her, caught Levi, and Annie's foot stomped down on the horses. Levi's eyes widened as he planted his sword in the Titan's fingers. Bertholdt, or rather, the 50-foot Titan let out a scream, as smoke came boiled out of his hand. Once again, Levi attached his 3DM gear onto something, that something being Annie, and aimed for her head again. She took her fighting stance and chrashed her fist against Levi, who landed on the ground. He coughed, brushed himself of and said; "I'll think you'll find it's two against ten. How do you like those odds?" Before letting out a piercing whistle. Nine more members of the corps, who had lain in hiding, appeared out of the underbrush, and charged.

''WHAT THE HELL, ARMIN? DID YOU HIT YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU FAINTED! You do realise you're talking about that cleaning midget, right?'' Eren exclaimed. Armin groaned, before rolling his eyes, he should've expected Eren would react like this. Eren was known for being impulsive, blurting out whatever crossed his mind, without thinking. ''That is not a nice thing to say. And I didn't hit my head, I'm really fond of Levi. Can't you be happy for me, Eren?'' he asked.

Eren's face turned an interesting shade of red, as he was about to shout something, but then Hanji came in. ''Ah, Armin. The meeting about the strategy has been postponed, Levi is taking longer taking Annie and Bertholdt to the MP then expected. It'll be three o' clock before we gather, I hope you don't mind.'' she said. Armin shook his head, and wanted to say he didn't mind, but before he could, they heard a loud crash, and then agonized yells. Followed by a terrified scream; ''TITAN ATTACK!''

All of them ran and grabbed their 3DM gear, before heading outside, only to see the armored Titan and Mikasa battle. ''What happened?'' Eren asked, and Ymir replied, ''It's Reiner, he's the armored Titan.'', before activating her 3DM gear to support Mikasa. ''Reiner...'' Armin said, dazed, as Eren cursed. Before Eren had any time to react, Armin's expression turned into an angry one, as he attached his gear to a building, lunged towards Reiner, mananging to cut his shoulder deeply. ''YOU BASTARD!'' he screamed. Reiner was taken aback for a moment. Even though he became a titan, he did regonize Armin, who wasn't behaving as he usually did. Nevertheless, he grabbed Armin, making Mikasa and Eren gasp. Just then the other Titans arrived, causing even more of a panic.

Bertholdt observed the situation, their objectives Ymir and Eren didn't go down without a fight, and he knew he couldn't remain a Titan much longer. The fact that he was this tall came with a prize. He would weaken, and lose the strength he did possess rather fast. Annie had recieved a lot of damage recently, and Reiner was bleeding. This wasn't what they had planned at all! Especially since they had the advantage of a surprise attack. Suddenly he spotted the smirk on Commander Erwin's face as he ordered the members of the Survey around.

'Those bastards! They saw it coming' Bertholdt figured, and motioned to Reiner to stop the attack. Most of the Surveyors were attacking Annie, since they had fought against her before. And Bertholdt's Titan form began to smoke, signalling his body was going back to it's human shape. Reiner cursed, as Armin had drawn his sword, and cut deeply into the hand that held him. 'We're going to have to retreat' he decided, as he tried to grab Ymir. But before he could, Christa pushed her out of the way, and Reiner grabbed her instead. He headed towards the collapsing body of Bertholdt, who shed the remains and jumped onto his shoulder, then Reiner ran away.

''Armin!'' Mikasa and Eren yelled, as Ymir called out for Christa, but before they could attack Reiner, Annie knocked away some of the Surveyors, and stood before them. She heard the approach of someone using 3DM gear from behind her, and turned around just as Jean, who had returned, yelled, ''You bitch!'' and cut her throat. It started gushing blood, and the Titan crashed to the ground, leaving nothing but Annie herself.

''Annie!'' everyone yelled in surprise, even as she was being restrained by Erwin. Mikasa stepped forward, slapping her hard in the face. Annie said nothing, but stared daggers at Mikasa. ''I knew it! I knew you were a traitor!'' Mikasa yelled, as Annie kept staring. Ymir stepped forward as well. ''Where are they going with my Christa!'' she yelled, and Annie grinned. ''Does it really matter? Can't you guys see this world is doomed! Our fate is to die, we can't defeat the Titans.'' she said, and Mikasa hit her again. ''That's bullshit!'' a voice interrupted, and they turned around to see Levi, covered in dirt and blood. ''As long as we can fight, there's hope. If you believe humanity will lie down and give up, you're a fool.'' he grabbed his sword, and held it against her throat. ''But if it doesn't matter, you won't mind me slitting your throat. But before I do, you can tell me where your buddies went.'' Annie's eyes widened, then became dull again. ''Go ahead, kill me. It won't help you save Armin and Christa.''

''Where are our friends!'' Eren demanded, as Annie looked to him. ''Like hell I'm going to tell you, but I can tell you this, Ymir is one of us too.'' she said. ''I'll not have you sow suspicion!'' Levi told her, and slit her troat. Then Ymir coughed, and everyone turned their attention to her. ''Ehrr..., Levi... She was lying about me being part of their schemes, but, like Eren, I'm a Titan shifter.'' she said.


	7. Too little, Too late

Chapter 7

Too little, too late.

While the rest were fighting Annie, Reiner managed to escape. He didn't look back, presuming Annie would probably lose the battle. That, and he felt his body grow weak as well. Soon enough they entered the Titan forest, and he climbed a huge tree, dumping Armin, Christa and Bertholdt on a large branch, before he reverted to his human form again.

Bertholdt took and discarded Armin's 3DM gear, before tying Christa and Armin against the trunk of the tree. Reiner winced while touching the wound on his shoulder. ''Damn, Armin. I didn't think you would deal that much damage.'' he said, as he looked at Armin. ''You deserve it, you bastard!'' Armin said, angry. ''I think our friend here holds my betrayal of Marco against me, wouldn't you agree, Bertl?'' Armin winced when he heard Marco's name. ''What are you going to do with us?'' Christa asked, uncertainty in her eyes. ''We won't hurt either of you, we just want Ymir and Eren to come here, so basically, you're bait.'' Reiner told her. Armin frowned and kicked Reiner's shin with his free foot. ''Well, you seem rather aggresive today.'' Reiner said, while rubbing his shin.

''You really think you can defeat Eren and Ymir, just because you have us as bait? What do you plan on doing with them anyway?'' Armin said. Bertholdt smiled weakly before Reiner replied ''Armin, this world is doomed. Whether we defeat the Titans or not, the people left will be severely traumatized, and probably take it out on each other. So we plan on helping the Titans to attack the humans, we'll face the end sooner.'' Armin looked up at him, ''Are you serious?'' he said, ''That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, and I'm friends with Eren!''

Christa stiffled laughter turned to crying, and Armin stared angrily at the two men. Bertholdt shook his head a little, as Reiner bend down to comfort Christa. ''What if someone else comes?'' Armin asked, and Reiner smirked a little. ''Then it's likely the Titans will attack them. That is the same reason you shouldn't try to fight us now.'' he said, and Armin looked around. It was perfectly true, all of the Titans around were watching them, even though they seemed laid back, just relaxing a little, their eyes were constantly on the humans. Probably looking for a moment of weakness, a moment to devour them.

''Then why bring us here, this means you're in danger as well. The second you turn into a Titan to fight, you'll get worn out, and the Titans will see you as prey.'' Christa said, worried, causing the other three men to sweatdrop. ''That is.. ehr..'' Bertholdt stammered, as Reiner said, ''We'll be just fine.'' and Armin replied ''Their lives don't really matter at that point, seeing how they want to finish off the human race.'' Bertholdt sat down and said ''Now, we wait.''

Meanwhile, within the wall of Sina, everyone was gathered in the mess hall, as they listened to Ymir arguing with Erwin and Hanji. ''You knew you were a Titan all along, and you never thought to tell us?'' Erwin questioned, but Ymir shook her head, ''I wanted to, but I didn't want to be separated from Christa. And I'm a pretty capable fighter without using Titan shifting.'' she explained. ''You should always tell your superior officers anything that is of such great strategic importance, no matter the personal costs.'' Erwin replied curtly. Hanji spoke before Erwin could antagonize Ymir further, ''While I agree you really should tell things like that, I think we can understand why you didn't, besides, it's all water under the bridge now. We need to decide what to do, oh.., and, by the way, any other timid titan shifters still present?'' Hanji said with a grim smile. No-one spoke up.

''It doesn't matter, I just want to go and get my friend back.'' Ymir said, and Eren shared her sentiment. Levi replied, ''We all want our Cadets to be safe. However, we do not know what way they went, so here's what we're going to do. We're going to search the area, in hope of finding tracks of the Titans, or signs from Armin and Krista.'' Eren interrupted, by shouting ''If you think I'm going to sit and wait, you've got another thing coming. I'm going after them, whether you like it or not. Don't try to stop me!'' Mikasa walked forward, only to smack Eren in the face. ''Listen to the captain for once, Eren!'' she said with a soft, but stern voice. ''I know you fear for Armin and I'm worried about him as well, but we don't know where they went, and without that information, we can't do anything.''

Levi nodded, and Eren's face grimaced as he mumbled ''Fine.'' and walked away. Ymir stared harshly at Mikasa, before stalking off as well. Mikasa shot them a worried look, but then Hanji grabbed her arm, saying, ''We should help clear the rubble, and prepare, in case they attack again.'' Mikasa nodded, and followed Hanji. Jean, Connie and Sasha stood as well, and followed Hanji and Mikasa to the city. Jean wore a worried and pained expression, but it was Sasha who spoke up. ''Waiting is always the hardest.'' she said, nibbling on some loaf of bread. Connie nodded his head in agreement, and Jean scowled a little. ''I know that. But I want to make sure Armin and Christa are fine. Damn, those bastards! I trusted them.'' Jean said, and Mikasa turned to face them. ''We'll take revenge, once we find out where they are, we'll get back at them.'' she said, and both Sasha and Jean were a little taken aback, because the usually stoic-faced Mikasa was seething with anger.

Christa had fallen asleep a while ago and Reiner had cuddled up to her as twilight fell over the Titan forest. Armin was still wide awake, and Bertholdt was humming a peacefull tune. The Titans that used to watch them troughout the day were yawning, and losing their focus on the humans. ''Hey.'' Armin said softly, and Bertholdt looked up. ''Something wrong? Are you thirsty?'' Bertholdt asked. Armin shook his head, while frowning. It was hard to talk with Bertholdt, or Reiner for that matter. He had trusted both of them deeply, and some of that trust still lingered.

''I was just wondering, why did you attack Shiganshina years ago? What do you gain from letting the Titans win?'' Armin asked, and Bertholdt sighed, before pulling his knees up to his chin. ''Reiner already explained that.'' he said. ''Liar, I refuse to believe that is why you really attacked. I can't stop you from doing anything, but if I'm going to die, I want the real reason behind it all.'' Armin said. ''Armin...'' Bertholdt said softly, ''What makes you think we're lying?''

''I've got a feeling. I mean, I thought the world was doomed as well, before I joined the trainee division. If it wasn't for the senseless death of my grandfather, I'd still be thinking humanity would be better off if it stopped struggling. But the last days, no, years, with Eren, gave me hope. And I think we can live, even if we have to evacuate to another land. We just have to fight trough the Titans, and...''

Bertholdt shook his head, ''That wouldn't work Armin. Where would we go, and what should we do there? Before humanity could reach safety it would be eradicated by the Titans.'' Bertholdt hesitated, before continuing, ''Armin, do you know how a Titan-shifter comes to be?'' Armin answered,''Well, I can't be sure, but in Eren's case he developed the ability after he survived being devoured by a Titan...'' ''That's correct Armin, both Reinier and I survived the same fate when our village was attacked by Titans. We are convinced that the only way for humanity to survive is to have more Titan-shifters among them. Unfortunately, the vast majority of humans don't survive the ordeal, so we couldn't really ask for volunteers, now could we? So after much discussion we decided to force the issue and bring humanity into violent conflict with the Titans.''

''You're insane! The corps won't stand for this, they'll put a stop to this madness.'' Armin argued. ''I hoped you would understand, but it doesn't matter. Eren and Ymir will soon be here, Annie is leading them right to us.'' Bertholdt replied. Armin gave a worried look. ''What if Annie didn't survive?'' he asked. ''Then we must hope Eren or Ymir will find their way here, understand the importance of the plan and join our purpose. If not, Reiner and I will have to fight them and hope other Titan-shifters will be more understanding.'' Bertholdt replied, in a soft voice.

Armin sneered, ''And what if they do join you? What will you do then? Declare yourself Kings? The new masters of humanity?'' Bertholdt replied curtly, ''I wouldn't want that. it would-'' Armin interrupted, ''Why not? You've subjugated the lives of hundreds of thousands of people to your plans, how are you not acting like the worst kind of-?'' Bertholdt shushed Armin by putting his hand over Armin's mouth. ''I don't want to, Armin. I'm responsible for so many deaths... I believe I'm acting for the greater good, but I'll be remembered as a monster, when all is done Reiner and I will give ourselves up for judgment.'' he chuckled, ''I'm not looking forward to that.''

Armin didn't know what to say, not that he could speak with Bertholdt's hand clasped over his mouth. Bertholdt smiled sheepishly, before shrugging and saying, ''Reiner feels the same, he's a warrior, a protector, just like me. And Reiner didn't just act like a big brother, he really does care for others.'' They looked at the sleeping Reiner, who was snoring a little, and Krista who was cuddled up to him. Bertholdt smiled again, while holding out an arm. ''You seem tired, Armin, do you want to sleep as well?'' Armin smiled, glad that Bertholdt did have a reason for what happened, even though it didn't make up for what happened in the past. Nevertheless, he smiled, and cuddled up to Bertholdt.

Back at the compound, Ymir snuck into the male bedroom, where Eren was snoring loudly, vainly competing with the more proffessional snores Connie produced. She vaguely heard someone mumble something incoherent about a horse and Eren. She tip-toed to Eren's bedside, put her hand over his mouth, then dragged Eren towards the door. Of course the little shit woke up, but that couldn't be helped, Ymir thought.

Eren struggled, but Ymir wasn't weak, and managed to maintain her hold. Just as she pulled him outside and shut the door, Jean woke from a nightmare about a horse with Eren's face. He saw the door swing shut after Ymir, and grew curious enough to leave his bed, and put his ear against the door.

''Whop mfe huull!'' Eren shouted, muffled by Ymir's hand still held over his mouth. ''Shut up, Yeager!'' she hissed. ''We're going to save Krista and Armin.'' Eren fell silent hearing those words and Ymir withdrew her hand. ''Heichou and Mikasa told us...'' Eren started, but Ymir tch'ed. ''It isn't like you to listen to what they say. Our friends are in danger, and they want us to wait? Hah!'' she said, and Eren couldn't argue with that. Jean's eyes widened and he opened the door. The other two looked at him, with an irritated look on their face. ''Don't stop us, or I'll sock your horse-face to the ground.'' Ymir threatened and Jean quickly shook his head. ''I want them back as well. But you better go in the morning, your Titan abilities are useless in the night.'' he told them. Ymir made a fist and hit Jean hard in the face, knocking Jean out cold. ''No-one asked for your opinion, donkey.'' she huffed.

''Wow, that sure hit the spot! Jean was right, though. How are we going to do this?'' Eren whispered, while walking down the corridor alongside Ymir. ''We're soldiers, and stronger than most. By the time we find them, it'll probably be light again, and if not, well, their abilities won't work either in the night.'' Ymir replied, before they reached the room where the 3DM-gears were stored. They grabbed theirs, and then Ymir checked if there were any guards that could stop them. After she verified there weren't any guards nearby, she motioned for Eren to follow her.

While all this happened at the compound, Levi lay asleep, dreaming. Levi blinked a few times, he stood in his favourite restaurant, again. But why? Humanity was in danger, and he should be chasing the ones that betrayed it, the intelligent Titans. He was about to stand up, as he spotted a familiar figure with a mop of blond hair waving at him. ''Armin?'' he asked. ''Ah, there you are, Sir. Eren and Mikasa grew tired of waiting, as Eren figured you were occupied by cleaning the restroom, they left.'' the boy said teasingly, Levi sat down beside him. Levi smirked, then dropped it, and said, ''I thought that those two betrayers kidnapped you? How did you escape, and more importantly, where are they?''

''What do you mean, Heichou?'' Armin asked. Levi rolled his eyes, this was a dream about the past, about the second time he met Armin. ''Never mind that, why are you here if you friends left?'' Levi asked, deciding to go along with his dream. ''I figured it was rude to leave, without giving you some notice, and since Eren and Mikasa were gone already, I decided to stay and wait for you.'' Armin said. Levi smiled, Armin was very polite. ''Well, I guess Eren led Mikasa to the compound, so we'll see them there. But your horseshoe was broken, wasn't it? So, how about a small detour. It takes a bit longer, but the ground is easier for the horses to cross, and it's a nice view, even at night.'' Levi suggested.

Almost eagerly, Armin nodded. When they arrived at the stables they noticed Armin's horse was gone already, and only Levi's horse was there, making a noise of excitement once he saw Levi. ''I guess they took my horse with them.'' Armin said. ''Well, in that case, you can ride along with me.'' Levi said, while petting his horse. ''That would be very nice, Heichou.'' Armin answered, while handing the saddle to Levi, who took it, and hung it over the stable door. Then he reached out for Armin, and pulled him closer. ''You tend to forget it very often, but my name is Levi.'' he told the blond.

''I'm sorry, Levi'' Armin said, blushing. ''That's alright, but I..'' suddenly Levi was lost for words as he found Armin staring into his eyes, and he found himself staring back. ''Levi...'' Armin said. ''Armin..'' Levi replied, and they drew close. ''I know this is wrong, I mean you're a higher rank, but Sir... I... sorry, I mean Levi...'' Armin started to ramble, but Levi shushed him. ''It's alright, Armin. I'm fond of you as well.'' Levi said, bringing his face near Armin's. His heart started pounding, he hadn't been this excited in quite a while.

Suddenly Levi awoke, at the mere thought of what was going to happen in the dream. His heart was still pounding and he was panting a little. ''What the hell was that about?'' he said, getting up. He decided he should get himself a glass of water, and then maybe try to get a little rest, before the day would get started. He just hoped they could track down the betrayers soon, and that Armin was still alive.

He pondered the dream, while heading down the corridor to the kitchen, but suddenly he tripped over something. He wasn't very clumsy and the corridor was usually spotless, so he looked back to see what made him stumble. He spotted a body, laying still on the floor. Levi approached and nudged the body with his boot. ''Oi! What are you doing sleeping on the floor? You've got a bed, you moron.'' he said, before reconizing Jean, who got up, cursing under his breath. ''Ymir, Eren, I'm telling you, you're being idiots!'' he said, before looking at Levi and paling. ''What are you talking about?'' Levi demanded. ''Ehr, Sir... Ymir and Eren left earlier in the night, to save Krista and Armin, Sir.'' Jean said, while saluting him lopsided.

''Those idiots! Wake Mikasa, gather you gear and follow me.'' Levi told him, while running back to his room, to grab his own gear. When Levi, Jean and Mikasa finally chased the trail of Eren and Ymir, dawn had broken in the Titan forest. The sun's rays shone trough the branches, and the wind blew gently, making the leaves dance a little. Their rustling sound, and the warm sun on his face, woke Armin up. He stretched a little, or as far he was capable of stretching, since Bertholdt was holding him, a little protectively.

He peeked over the branch a little, to find that the Titans were waking up as well. They were washing themselves, the smaller ones were playing, and some were wandering around. It almost seemed like they had forgotten about them, as if it was just a regular day for them, and it probably was. Armin had never seen them this way, it was almost like they were sorta human. ''Goodmorning Armin, have you slept well?'' Bertholdt asked, who had been awoken by Armin's 'stretching'. ''Yeah, better than usual.'' Armin said, and truth was that he had slept better than the last weeks. ''Good to hear it.'' Bertholdt replied, before Reiner and Krista woke up as well. ''Morning.'' Reiner said, and whilst Krista and Bertholdt replied, Armin downright refused to talk to him.

He averted his eyes, then continued to stare at the titans. ''Bertl, can you go and get breakfast with Krista from our hidden supply?'' Reiner asked, while looking at Armin. ''Sure, anything you want?'' Bertholdt asked. ''Just some bread for Armin and me would be fine.'' Reiner replied, then Bertholdt trailed off with Krista. Armin followed them with his eyes, making sure Bertholdt wouldn't push Krista of the branch or something. Once they were out of sight, he focused on the Titan's behaviour again.

''Better not stare at them for long. They are bound to notice, let them play and we'll be safe.'' Reiner said, while grabbing Armin's chin, so the boy had no choice then to look at him. Armin's face grimaced, as he saw Reiner smile at him. ''I understand you feel betrayed, but I overheard you talking with Bertl last night. I know you know the reason why we attacked, so why're you acting so cold to me?'' Reiner asked. Armin said nothing, and Reiner spoke again, ''I'm sorry for all the damage we've caused, and all the lives we've taken. I'm sorry that it seems like I betrayed humanity, for a shallow reason, but you're my friend, Armin. You're like my little brother, and I never intend to hurt someone this close to me.'' he said, while trying to sneak an arm across Armin's shoulder. Armin slapped it away, while tears grew in his eyes ''Then why did you betray Marco! Why did you kill him, the moment he wanted to reveal your identity? He could have helped your cause, and still be alive!'' Armin shouted while standing up, and the Titans focused their attention on them right away.


	8. The future now lies in our hands.

Chapter 8

The future now lies in our hands.

It had taken most of the night, and much backtracking, but Ymir had finally found a trail that might lead to her precious Krista. There was a line of gigantic footprints leading in a straight path towards the Titan forest. ''At last, I thought we would never find them!'' Eren said, as his eyes followed the footprints towards the forest in the distance. Ymir squinted, and nodded, she started moving towards the Titan forest, but Eren dismounted his horse. ''What's our plan?'' he asked, while petting his horse, thanking it for the long ride through the night.

Ymir blew a strand of hair out of her eyes, before she impatiently dismounted too. Eren continued, ''We don't know what the situation is. Whether there are many Titans, or whether Reiner and Bertholdt set any traps. Not to mention that they have Armin and Krista as hostages. Don't we need some sort of plan...'' Ymir was about to interrupt Eren, but a male voice behind them did so before she could. ''That is why we stopped you in the first place, so there would be time to think of a decent plan.'' The two Titan-shifters turned, only to see a pissed-off Levi, an equally angry, but worried, Mikasa and four horses, one of which turned out to be Jean. ''Oh.., uh...hi?'' the two Titan-shifters said, but before anything more could follow, a terrified scream came from the Titan-forest.

''Krista!'' Ymir yelled, before attempting to mount her horse again. Mikasa stopped her, ''Don't be a fool. What are you going to do once you arrive there? Allow all the Titans to attack you?'' she asked. Jean's eyes widened in surprise, before he said, ''That's not an entirely stupid idea. I'll be a decoy. I'll draw away most of the Titans, signal you, and then you and Eren can fight those that linger in your Titan-form, and Mikasa and the Heichou can go and save Armin and Krista.'' They heard a rumble and another scream, this one more desperate then before. ''It isn't a solid plan, but it'll have to do.'' Levi said, and Jean nodded before racing off towards the forest.

They waited for Jean's flare gun, signalling that it was okay for Ymir and Eren to approach. The Titan shifters bit their hands to trigger the transformation. Ymir headed to the forest straight away. Eren, on the other hand, lost control, much like the second time he shifted into Titan form, and attacked Mikasa, who tumbled out of the way. ''Go, save Armin and Krista, I'll deal with him.'' she directed Levi, before attaching her 3DM Gear to a tree, and lunging at Eren.

While Mikasa charged Eren, Levi rushed towards the forest. Jean had led most Titans away, only a few were left, fighting with Ymir near a large tree. Levi assumed that the tree was the place where he could find the Titan shifters and their captives, Krista and Armin. He attached his 3DM gear to a branch, way up there, before reeling the wires in, and allowing the exhaust on his gear to push him upwards. He landed safely on a branch, then looked up. He was able to see three people, two branches higher. However, he didn't see Bertholdt, which made him catious.

He grabbed his swords to attack Reiner, mentally preparing for any surprise attack Bertholdt might spring. Before he could attach his 3DM gear, he heard a roar. As he looked down, he saw more Titans surrounding Ymir, who was on the verge of being overwhelmed. Levi wanted to help her, he really did, but Krista and Armin held higher priority.

Levi heard a mechanical sound, and some cable reeling, maybe Mikasa had knocked Eren out, and had come to assist him. Whatever it was, Levi couldn't bear to wait any longer, he attached his gear to the branch where Krista and Armin were held imprisoned, then charged at Reiner.

A few minutes ago, Krista's Point of View:

This is horrible. Jean has led so many Titans away, but they probably have devoured him by now. My good friend, my love, my Ymir, is under attack by a group of Titans, and more keep coming. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, and look to see who's there. ''Bertholdt.'' I cry softly. He says, ''It is going to be okay, I promise you, Krista.'' and shows me his 3DM Gear. ''We've been saving it, in case we needed to escape from this place. I'm not going to flee, though.'' he continues thoughtfully. ''What do you mean?'' I ask. ''I'm going to help Ymir. Allow me to bring you back to Reiner and Armin first.'' he says, while holding out a hand.

I smile, and gingerly take his hand. He holds me close, as we wander back to Reiner and Armin. He hands me to Reiner, who holds me protectively. ''I'm going to help Ymir'' he tells Reiner, before attaching his gear to the base of a nearby tree, and jumping.

''Please be safe.'' I say softly, before hearing another reeling sound. It's rather close, and I turn to see the Heichou aim at Reiner. ''Nooooo.'' I scream, as I push Reiner out of the way, but Heichou's speed was to great, he knocks me over, and I stumble to the side, then fall.

Regular Point of View from here...

Krista screamed as she fell down. ''Krista!'' Armin yelled before being pulled back by familiar arms. ''Where's your fellow shifter?'' Levi demanded, while pointing his blade at Reiner. Reiner smirked before pointing at the fight beneath them. ''He's going to help Ymir. We'll need her, it was never our intention to let her die.'' he said, before making a fist with his hand. ''Reiner, stop it!'' Armin said, as Reiner approached them. Levi let go of Armin, and gently pushed him aside, all the while keeping his blade trained on Reiner. Armin smoothly stepped behind Levi, still speaking, ''Please Reiner, I beg you,...''

Before Reiner could hit Levi, a fist hit him on the back of his head, knocking him out cold. ''That was for Marco, you son of a bitch'' Jean said, as he grabbed his rope, and tied Reiner's hands together. ''Jean, you're alive.'' Armin said, as he tackled Jean, with a loving hug. ''Of course I am alive. I'm not defeated that easily.'' Jean said, with a smile. ''Where is Mikasa?'' he asked Levi, who pointed behind them. ''Eren's transformation had some teething problems, she's taking care of it. She has probably knocked him senseless by now.'' he said. ''Isn't he always?'' Jean asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Armin shot Levi a worried look, but Levi smiled at him. ''They'll be just fine. Jean, take Reiner to Mikasa and Eren.'' he commanded. ''Yes, Sir!'' Jean let go of Armin, saluted Levi, and used his rope to lower Reiner to the ground. ''Sir?'' Armin asked. ''Yes, Armin?'' Levi asked. ''When we get back, please hear out Reiner and Bertholdt. I know that what they did is unforgiveable, but there is a reason behind their actions.'' Armin said. ''We'll see about that. Do you still have you gear?'' Levi asked. Armin shook his head. ''Then hold on to me.'' Levi told him. Armin wrapped his arms around Levi's neck, while one of Levi's arms encircled his waist, his gear tucked under his other arm.

Levi brought Armin safely to the ground, where Bertholdt and Ymir had defeated the many Titans surrounding the tree, just as Bertholdt felt his body grow numb. His Titan form collapsed, and he climbed out of it. Ymir followed his example, panting as she tried to catch her breath. Even though she was tired, she shot Bertholdt a deadly look. ''Why did you have to endanger her?'' she said, in a murderous tone. Bertholdt knew she was referring to Krista, and said, ''You know we never planned to hurt her, but she became an unfortunate factor in our methods of kidnapping you and Eren.''

Ymir collapsed to the ground, rolling on her side. ''That doesn't matter and you know that! I've told you before, I'm more than willing to assist with your idea, and escape from the walls, but I don't want her to be...'' suddenly she stopped, as she was hugged by a smaller form. She looked to the side, only to look in teary blue eyes. ''Krista'' Ymir whispered, and the blonde nodded. ''You're a fool, Ymir. An amazingly kind and generous fool.'' Krista whispered as she stroked Ymir's cheeks. ''Why are you down here, and why are you bleeding?'' Ymir asked, while looking at Krista's shoulder, covered with blood stains. ''It doesn't matter, I'm still alive, Ymir.'' Krista whispered, as she pecked Ymir's cheek.

Two dull thumps heralded the arrival of Levi and Armin, the former immediately approaching Bertholdt in a threatening manner. "Are you going to make a mess, or will you come cleanly? Not that it would do you any more good than it did Reiner'' Levi said, pointing at Reiner's form as it hit the ground, maybe with a tad more force than required. Jean's voice hollered ''Coming!'' before he too descended. ''I won't be any trouble, couldn't pull off the plan without Annie and Reiner anyways.'' Bertholdt said

When they returned to the clearing where Mikasa had fought Eren, they found a knocked out Eren, held gently by Mikasa. ''How's he doing?'' Armin asked, and Mikasa gently smiled at him, as she stated, ''He'll be just fine.'' She let Eren slip to the ground, then stood up and did a check-up on Armin. ''Did they hurt you? Did they try to kill you? Because, if so, my specialty is cutting flesh, and I won't hesitate to give a demonstration.'' she said, glaring daggers at Reiner and Bertholdt.

Armin shook his head, ''I'm fine.'' he replied. Mikasa smiled, then turned her attention back to Eren. ''What are we going to do with these two?'' Jean asked. "Let's give them a cut for every wound Krista suffered. Oh, and Armin.'' Ymir replied, causing Bertholdt to wince. ''We'll take them back to the compound, it's up to Erwin to decide what to with these two.'' Levi answered. ''But we don't have enough horses, and some of us are unconscious, so they can't walk.'' Krista said.

''Wait, I know what to do!'' Jean exclaimed, making everyone wonder what he came up with. ''We'll tie Eren and Reiner to one horse, that'll drag them back to the compound. If Mikasa guides that horse, then we'll have three more horses left. If Ymir and Krista share one, and I take Armin with me, then the Heichou can take Bertholdt back with him.'' Jean said proudly.

Levi, Bertholdt, Krista and Armin sweatdropped, while Mikasa glared at his idea of dragging Eren in such a rude way, and was about to suggest that Jean was the one that should be dragged, but Armin spoke before she could open her mouth. ''Well, we could lay Reiner over one of the horses, so he would arrive intact for his judgement. If you would be so kind to guide it back to the compound, Jean. Then Mikasa could take Eren with her. I think it is very wise that Bertholdt, Krista and Ymir share a horse, and ehr...'' Armin wasn't sure if he should suggest to tag along with Levi, without even asking for his permission.

''You can ride with me.'' Levi told him, and Armin smiled shyly at him. Jean sighed, as he started dragging Reiner to a horse, pulling him over the back, and tying Reiner's hands and feet together so he wouldn't fall off. After Jean was done, they headed back towards the compound, with Levi leading them. During the ride, Armin enjoyed the warmth that Levi was radiating, and laid his head against Levi's back, the bumps in the road lulling him into sleep. ''Comfortable?'' he faintly heard Levi ask, before he nodded and fell asleep.

Levi smiled as he felt Armin nod, and noticed how Armin relaxed. Just as Armin fell asleep, Eren woke up. ''Wha' happened?'' he murmured against Mikasa's neck, who heard him. ''We've captured Reiner and Bertholdt, and are heading back to the compound.'' she answered. ''That is great. But I don't remember fighting any of them. In fact, I don't remember anything after becoming a Titan.'' he said. ''Well, after you became a Titan, you attacked me. I don't know why, and I don't mind really. I'm sorry that I had to knock you out, though'' she replied.

''I'm sorry I attacked you. I didn't do it on purpose.'' Eren said, and Mikasa nodded in understanding. Eren looked around, saw how Bertholdt was riding with Krista and Ymir, laughing about something Krista had just said. Jean carried a grim expression, and had a giant lump slung behind him, Eren supposed that would be Reiner. Then he looked at the horse next to them, carrying Levi and Armin.

''What's with that?'' he said a little too loud, to which Levi replied ''How very efficient of you to wake up now, dolt! The battle is over and done.'' Eren ground his teeth. ''I wasn't aware of what I was doing. Stop pretending it was my fault.'' he said angrily. Levi smirked before saying, ''I'm don't think you're at fault, after all, you're not aware of what you are doing most of the time.'' Eren frowned before stating, ''I don't get it! What the hell does Armin see in you? You're major jerk in a midget package!'' Mikasa groaned, while Levi raised an eyebrow. ''What do you mean by that?'' he asked. Eren realised his mistake, and said, ''Never mind.''

Before Levi could demand that Eren explain himself, they arrived at the compound. Eren cheered, then jumped of the horse and ran to his shared room, hoping that Levi wouldn't follow him. After all, the boys' room was known for being quite a mess. Mikasa raised her eyebrow, but before she could trail after him, she was assaulted, or rather, hugged, by a brown-haired girl. ''I'm so glad you're back.'' Sasha said, before looking at Christa. ''Come on, you guys must be hungry.'' she let go of Mikasa, then pulled both Mikasa and Christa with her, and Ymir automatically tagged along.

''Tch'' Jean shook his head, before untying Reiner, who dropped with a loud thump on the flagstones. Bertholdt felt sorry for the harsh treatment Jean gave Reiner, but continued to lean against the wall, waiting for Levi and Jean to guide them to the cells. But Jean walked up to Levi and Armin, and poked a dozing Armin's cheek. ''Aaarmin'' he said in a sing-song voice, making the blond groan a little. ''Wakey, wakey.'' he said, after which Armin's eyes slowly opened. ''You do realise I'm not nine, right?'' Armin asked in a sleepy voice, as he was lifted off the horse by Jean. ''I do, but it's the friendliest way to wake you from your nap.'' Jean teased, as he put Armin's feet on the ground and let go of the smaller teen.

Levi's eyes narrowed before dismounting his horse as well. ''Armin, could you please bring these horses to the stables. Jean and I will bring Reiner and Bertholdt to the cells. After you're done, please meet me in my office.'' Levi said, before motioning Bertholdt to follow him, leaving Jean to drag Reiner along. Armin's eyes widened, hoping he wasn't in trouble, before taking the four horses to the stables.

''I hope you'll behave, because if you don't, I'll make sure to beat you to death this time!'' Levi told Bertholdt, while guiding him to his cell. ''When I kidnapped Armin, I told him that I would give myself up for judgement. I do not intend to go back on my word, even if that means that they'll hang me.'' Bertholdt told Levi, sincerely. Levi snapped at the mention of Armin's name, then stopped walking before hitting Bertholdt in the face, making the taller guy's nose bleed.

Bertholdt stared at him, with a shocked demeanour. ''If you ever use Armin again, for whatever stupid idea you and mister big shot have, I'll kill you without a second's thought.'' Levi said. Bertholdt replied, ''You have my word, but I'll repay you the favor if you ever hurt him.'' before stepping into his cell. Levi shut the door, locked it and decided to walk away, before he really did kill the taller teen.

Before he could leave the area, Jean met up with him. ''Sir, I've locked Reiner up, Sir. You're going upstairs to meet Armin, right?'' Jean asked. Levi nodded curtly. ''Then, pardon my french, Sir, but we need to talk.'' Jean said. Levi rolled his eyes. The only one he wanted to talk with was Armin, not any of these morons. But Jean seemed persistent, so Levi replied, ''Make it short, I don't want Armin to have to wait for me.''

''Sure. Here's the thing, Armin's my best friend, even though we never said we were more than good friends. He's been there for me, even when Marco died, and he's very special to me. I know he likes you a lot, and judging by your behavior around him, I know you share those feelings. But if you ever make him cry, I'll be there to protect him. Even if you're stronger than me, I don't care how many times I would get hurt. But if you hurt him, I'll be damned if you won't get hurt as well.'' Jean told him. Levi shrugged, remaining unfazed. ''Is that all?'' he asked. Jean nodded in confirmation, and they each went their way.

After Armin was done taking care of the horses, he walked to Levi's office. His heart thumped loudly, while he headed upstairs. 'I wonder what he wants from me. I guess he wants to know what happened there. I suppose he has to make a report for Erwin.' Armin sighed. 'Of course, that must be the reason for him to summon me to his office, it isn't like we've any other reason to meet up. I kinda wish he had though.' Armin blushed at his own thoughts.

When he arrived at Levi's office and tried to enter the room Armin assumed was the cleanest in the entire compound, he found the door locked. ''That's strange, I thought he asked me to come here once I was done. Maybe there are problems with Reiner or Bertholdt.'' Armin told himself. Before he could head downstairs, to see if he could find Levi or Jean, Levi came upstairs. ''Ah, Armin, I got held up. Sorry if I made you wait for too long.'' Levi said, while unlocking the door, and entering his office.

''I just arrived as well, Si.., ehr, Levi'' Armin stammered, following Levi's lead. ''It's good to know that I didn't made you wait too long. Could you close the door?'' Levi asked while taking a seat on his chair. Armin nodded, before shuttting the door behind him. ''Did you need me to describe what happened there for your report, Sir?'' Armin asked him. Levi shook his head, while motioning for Armin to sit on the chair across from him. Armin gulped, before sitting down. 'If it's not for describing the situation, then it might be because I turned out to be useless for the survey. I did get captured easily.' Armin thought.

''Are you alright? You look kinda pale, did they mistreat you during what happened?'' Levi asked. Armin shook his head, remembering how warm Bertholdts embrace had been during their nap on the branch. ''Nothing happened, really. Bertholdt and Reiner did nothing more then bring us to the forest and..'' before Armin could go on, Levi shushed him, by leaning forward in his chair and putting his finger on Armin's lips. ''Hush, I told you, I didn't invite you here to tell me what happened. I wanted to know wether you were hurt or not.'' Levi said.

''Ehr ,Sir, isn't that what they're supposed to do at the infirmary?'' Armin asked. ''It is. But I figured that, even if you were hurt, you wouldn't drop by to get your wound checked out. You would check in with Eren, to see if that brainless dolt is fine. You would go to Jean, to hear how he's doing. You might even check on Reiner, because you're good-natured, but you tend to forget to take care of yourself.'' Levi told him. Armin swallowed, but smiled timidly when he spotted the kindness in Levi's eyes. ''Thank you, Levi. I appreciate you saying that, but I'm not as important as ...'' Once again, Levi shushed him, or rather, interrupted him, ''That's not true, Armin. Learn to value your own life. And for what it's worth, I do care a lot about you.''

Armin fidgeted, but replied, ''I care a lot about you as well. I never discussed this with anyone, other then acknowledging it to Eren, but..'' Armin paused. ''But what?'' Levi's curiousity grew, wondering what the blond was going on about. ''This may sound creepy, but ever since I've met you, I've had these dreams. They vary each time, but they all end up being about you.'' Armin confessed, blushing. Levi smiled, before saying, ''Not creepy at all, I have dreamed about you as well.''

Both smiled at each other, and a comfortable silence grew. It was Levi who broke the silence, ''I called you in here to ask what Eren was talking about when he said, and I quote, ''What the hell does Armin see in you.'' but I think I understand what he was talking about.'' If Armin was blushing before, he did so even more furiously after hearing what Levi just said. ''Eren said what? I'll go ahead and talk to him. I'm sorry he bothered you.'' Armin said, about to get up. He ought to scold Eren, because he wasn't ready to tell Levi yet. In fact, Armin had decided that he shouldn't tell Levi at all, because Levi was a higher rank than him, and truthfully, Armin himself wasn't ready to be rejected.

''Wait.'' Levi said, and got up, only to grab Armin's hand. Armin stared back at him with frightened, but magnificent blue eyes. ''Armin, I called you to confirm whether Eren was right or not. And as much as I hate to say it, but if it's true, then I have to thank him, or at least get him off punishment detail.'' Levi continued. ''Wh- what are you talking about, Levi?'' Armin questioned. ''Armin...'' Levi said, pulling Armin closer to him, so that their faces were close. ''Armin, I think I've fallen for you.'' Levi said.

''Levi.'' Armin whispered back, before pushing himself away a little, gaining a confused look from Levi. ''I do like you, I really do, but this is highly inappropiate.'' Armin said, making Levi chuckle fondly. ''Armin, I don't give a shit about my status. For all they care, I'm just another soldier. I may have a title, but that doesn't mean I'm nothing more than a title. I'm a person that just happens to like you. You're smart, Arlert, so you understand what I'm saying, right?''

Armin offered a small smile. ''I understand, Levi.'' he said, to which Levi teasingly replied ''But if it really bugs you that much, I can act like none of this ever happened, and we can go on with our lives.'' Levi walked to the door, not bothering to look at Armin. Armin quivered at the mere thought of giving up his crush, and ran to Levi, suprising the other when he grabbed Levi's hand, pulled him back, and landed a kiss on Levi's mouth.

Levi was shocked at first, then smirked, and proceeded to kiss Armin back, pulling the blond into an embrace. It was Armin who broke the kiss after several seconds, even though these seconds felt like hours. Levi leaned his forehead against Armin's, both of them staring into each others eyes. ''I love you, Levi.'' Armin whispered. ''I love you too, Armin.'' Levi said, then kissed Armin's lips once more for several subjective hours...


	9. The Armin protection squad.

Chapter nine

The Armin protection squad.

After the newfound couple had made out for quite a while, Armin's stomach suddenly started to rumble. ''Well, that kills the mood.'' Levi commented, as Armin's cheeks turned crimson. ''It's been a while since I ate decently, Levi. There wasn't much to eat in the Titan forest, and to be honest, I was glad that I wasn't supper, so I forgot about having supper myself.'' Armin said, making Levi grumble something about having to hit Bertholdt harder next time.

He glanced at the clock behind Armin, then said, ''Well, it's time for supper, so I suppose we can get something to eat.'' Armin grinned, before replying, ''This time, it will be my treat.'' Both headed to the mess hall, it was packed. While they went ahead and got their food, Levi felt people stare at them. When he looked around to see who were, he spotted the table with the ex-trainee's, a few of them smirked, while some shot him murderous looks.

'Somehow, I get the feeling this is going to be a rather troublesome dinner.' Levi thought, before he noticed Armin tugging his arm, asking if Levi had heard the question the cook had asked. After the cook had given them their dinners, and Levi wanted to walk to his regular table, the one he shared with shitty-glasses and Erwin, Connie walked up to them. Connie grabbed Armin's arm, stating that it had been a while since he had seen him, and that Armin must sit and talk with them.

Armin smiled and nodded, allowing Connie to pull him along to the ex-trainee table. Levi raised an eyebrow, wondering when exactly Connie became close with Armin, before trailing after them. Armin was seated in between Connie and Jean, making it impossible for Levi to sit next to him, since the bench was already occupied by five people. He shrugged, and decided to sit across Armin. Unfortunately, sitting there meant sitting between Mikasa and Eren. Levi decided it was probably their idea to get Armin to sit here, and that the others were pawns in their evil game to keep him and Armin separated.

''It's so nice of the Heichou to join us.'' Christa said, oblivious to what was going on. Levi merely gave her grim smile, before looking at Armin, who was happily chatting with Connie. ''You look like you don't like the food. If you don't mind, I'll be more then happy to eat it for you.'' Sasha said, trying to snatch Levi's plate. Levi rapidly executed evasive maneuvres, before she could establish a beach-head. ''I'm fine.'' he replied, and Sasha pouted as she drew her arm back. While he observed Sasha's retreat, Mikasa 'accidentily' stabbed at his hand. He withdrew from her assault, managing to consolidate his position just in time.

''Sorry, my hand slipped.'' Mikasa said curtly, ''Oh! Good one, so did mine!'' Sasha interjeced, Levi just rolled his eyes, before smiling at Armin again. Armin caught Levi staring at him, smiling back cheerfully. 'Maybe sitting here isn't that bad.' Levi thought, before he saw the smirk Jean gave him, as he lay his arm over Armin's shoulders, nuzzling the blond's hair. Levi's eyes narrowed, thinking, 'Two can play that game, horseface.' He used his fork to pick out a random piece of meat on his plate, held it up to Armin, saying, ''Have you tried this yet?'' Armin shook his head, and Levi offered to feed him. Before Armin could nod, Sasha head swooped in and practically devoured it.

Armin stared at her in confusion, as Levi glared. ''What? If he's willing to share, it's impolite not to accept.'' she said in an innocent tone. No-one fell for it though, because of the large grin plastered over her face. ''I suppose not, though it was a bit random.'' Armin said, giving her a sweet smile. Levi wasn't sure how to react, after all, he was in enemy territory, and he had no one to back him up.

''So, how come you're sitting with us?'' Eren asked, patting Levi's back a little harder then neccessary. ''Yeah, what is the high and mighty Heichou doing here?'' Ymir asked, leaning forward with a teasing smile. ''I think it's wise to see how cadets are doing, and the best method to do this, is to interact with them in their natural habitat. Since each of you can relate to food,'' he eyed Sasha when he said this, ''it made the most sense to deal with you here. Supper is rather short, and I'm not going to spend any more time with any of you, other than within the field.'' he said. In his mind he added, 'With the exception of Armin, that is.'

''Well, it's still nice you try to interact with us.'' Krista said sweetly. ''Whatever.'' Levi muttered under his breath, before he felt something touching his leg. He looked around questioningly, challenging anyone who might assault his leg. His eyes met Armin's who smiled sweetly, and winked. 'He's trying to comfort me, damn, he's sweet and smart.' Levi smiled back, allowing Armin's foot to fondle his.

Suddenly another foot kicked Levi's out of the way, it came from the right. Levi looked at Eren, who gave him a challenging look. ''Something wrong?'' Eren asked. Levi wondered who had told him to play it subtle. There was no way the lout came up with it by himself, knowing Eren, he would have reacted instinctively, and started a fight. Suddenly Levi realised what was going on. Mikasa was the commander of this table, with Eren being the sub-commander, the rest operating as their soldiers who had undertaken the mission of cockblocking him very seriously.

Their objective; protecting Armin from him, and seeing how the dinner progressed, they were about to succeed in their mission. ''There was an annoying bug on my leg. I ought to squish it, later.'' Levi replied. Dinner remained an ordeal, with Mikasa repeatedly having little 'accidents' where her fork nearly stabbed his hand, arm, and even head. Connie and Jean kept Armin pleasantly occupied, while Sasha managed to squirrel away more than half of his food. Ymir and Eren were just teasing him blantantly, and when dinner was finally over, things detoriated even further when Hanji joined them. Levi spotted Erwin leaving the room, in quite a hurry.

''Ah! There you are, Levi. We missed you, and your rant about how to clean properly, during supper.'' she said, as she grabbed a chair and joined them. ''Ah, we haven't heard that rant yet. Now that Hanji is here, you might as well rant here.'' Ymir said, and Krista scowled at her. ''Actually, Hanji, I wanted to talk to you. Do you mind?'' Armin asked, and Hanji shook her head. ''Not at all. Let's chat in my office.'' she said, before dragging Armin with her. Leaving a bewildered Levi at the table, 'I've been abandoned! I'm betting they'll get worse, now that Armin is gone. But it also means it is easier to start a counter attack.' Levi thought, watching the grinning Jean carefully. ''What is it? Spill it, horseface.'' Levi demanded.

''Hey, if I'm a horse, then I'm a fucking stallion. But that aside, I was just thinking about you and Armin.'' Jean replied. Levi quirked an eyebrow, "You associate Armin with fucking stallions...'' He asked, threatheningly. ''Eww'' Krista muttered, while Jean seemed grossed out. Connie and Eren were confused, not understanding what Levi just implied, and Mikasa somehow wanted to stab a horse. But stabbing Jean would do the trick as well.

Jean coughed before saying, ''That was not what I meant at all! I wanted to ask how your talk with Armin was. You asked him to come to your office.'' Jean said. Damn, the horseface had cornered him. If he answered that question honestly, Eren and Mikasa would beat the crap out of him for kissing Armin. But there was no logical answer to the question that would make the situation better.

Mikasa raised her eyebrow questionly, ''Does this mean... has Armin asked you?'' she asked Levi in a soft tone. ''Armin requested to keep our conversation private. If you want to know, you'll have to ask him.'' Levi said, making movements to leave. Eren grabbed his wrist, stopping Levi from leaving. ''What do you want!'' Levi snapped at him. ''I wanted to talk to you, about what I said earlier.'' the Titan-shifter said. ''Make it quick, I've things to do.'' Levi said, as the crowd was about to disperse.

Levi turned around to the cadets and said, ''You lot aren't going anywhere. Each and everyone of you is going to clean the plates. I'll be checking on you later, so those plates better be shining when I drop by.'' The teens sighed, and grudgingly started gathering the plates. While they did so, Armin and Hanji arrived at her office. She opened it, with a small giggle. ''Something wrong?'' Armin asked, as he heard her stiffled laughter. ''No! No! Nothing in particular. I was just thinking about my earlier conversation with you.'' she said, while they entered the office.

Armin smiled when he remembered what she had asked him. ''Take care of him, Armin. He needs it after the loss of Petra. He used to be sort of close to her, before she, well, you know what happened.'' He had been very confused when she had asked him this, but by now he understood. ''Ehr, yeah. That's actually what I wanted to talk about.'' Armin said as they sat down. ''What do you mean? What did you do?'' she asked, somewhat worried. ''Ehr, well...'' Armin blushed furiously, and Hanji smirked. ''No way! Shut up. You mean you and he... really?'' she rambled in a high pitched voice. Armin nodded, before saying, ''I really do love him. He's very kind, and, dare I say it, handsome.''

''That's great, Armin. And I'm very glad you shared this with me. Levi wouldn't, and even if I would notice it, I'd take me ages to pry it out of him. So...'' Hanji wiggled with her eyebrows, ''.. how did it happen. Don't skip any details.'' she said. ''Ehr, well... it wasn't that special. He asked me to come to his office, to see how I was doing, and then we confessed. I kissed him, and then he kissed back, which was mind-blowing. But that isn't why I am here.'' Armin said.

''Oh?'' Hanji feigned interest. ''Then why're you here?'' she asked. ''I wanted to know what Levi likes. He's been teased mercilessly during dinner. My friends are too protective of me, and I want to make it up to him.'' he said. Hanji smiled, a little too wide, before saying, ''Well, I do have an idea or two on how you can cheer him up.'' she said, making Armin regret his choice to ask Hanji for help a little.

Levi supervised as the brats started to gather the plates, and prepared to clean them. Eren nervously eyed him, as he got closer. ''What do you want, Eren?'' Levi said, sensing that Eren was hesitating to say something. ''Earlier, I said I wanted to talk to you. If you don't mind, I want to talk about it now.'' Eren said. ''Speak up then. I'm not going to stop watching them, but I'll still hear whatever you say, loudmouth.'' Levi scolded, making Eren frown.

''I said something about Armin seeing something in you this afternoon. I shouldn't have said that, I mean, he still does, but it would have been better if he told you about it, instead of you hearing it from me. So, could you pretend you haven't heard that?'' Eren asked. Levi raised his eyebrow before smirking, ''A little too late for that, don't you think?'' he said teasingly. ''What do you mean? What did you do to him?'' Eren asked. ''Really? I thought you had noticed already, or that Mikasa or Jean would've informed you. '' Levi said.

''Informed me about what? What did you do to him? And why were your feet touching during dinner? Answer me!'' Eren demanded, making the rest look in their direction. ''It's nothing, continue with your assignment'' Levi ordered them, before turning to Eren. ''What I'm saying is, is that after what you told me, Armin and I had a talk. I hate to admit it, but it's due to you that we expressed our feelings, and decided to see how this relationship will work out for us. Even if it is just temporary, we want to explore the possibilities.''

''What?'' Eren said, before squinting his eyes angrily. ''Don't worry, you'll still see plenty of Armin, and so will I. My god, it's good that your best friends have the patience of saints, because...'' Levi couldn't finish his sentence, because Eren's fist crashed against his jaw. Everyone stopped in their tracks, Eren panted, before saying ''Don't you dare force yourself upon him, if I ever find you've hurt him, I'll kill you!''

''Eren, stop it.'' Mikasa said softly. Eren tried to hit Levi again, but the latter defended himself. ''You need to calm down.'' he said to Eren, as he pushed the boy to the ground and restrained him. But Eren refused to calm down, attempting to kick Levi. The other cadets were frozen. They knew Eren had anger issues, but they had never seemed this bad. Jean and Mikasa helped Levi restraining Eren, but there was no such luck.

At that moment,Hanji and Armin walked in and stared in shock at the scene before them. ''Stop it!'' Armin yelled, rushing towards the fighting pair. Mikasa and Jean listened to him, but the other two didn't. Armin squirmed between them and gently pushed Levi off Eren, putting his mouth near Eren's ear. Levi took a step back and assumed a fighting stance, but Armin said, ''Trust me.'' Levi nodded and relaxed somewhat, hoping that Armin knew what he was doing.

''Eren'' he urged, making him freeze for a moment. ''Eren, do you hear me? Can you tell me what's wrong?'' Armin said. ''Armin, I... you... deflowered.'' Eren mumbled. ''You're making no sense to me, Eren. Please, calm down. You're scaring me. You're scaring everyone here.'' Armin replied.

''I'm trying... to.. protect.. you.'' Eren said, trying to glare at Levi. ''Eren, I appreciate it. But I'm capable of taking care of myself and I think I made the right decision. If not, you'll be the first person to know, I promise.'' Armin said. Eren sighed heavily before nodding calmly. ''If you say so, Armin, then I trust you. I'm sorry that I told Levi.'' Eren whispered, and Armin smiled, shifted his weight off of Eren, and moved his hands to ruffle trough Eren's hair. ''That's ok. I wouldn't have told him myself.'' he said.

Levi scowled as he saw how close the two of them were, then looked around and noticed that the others had stop doing the dishes. ''Show's over. Please clean those plates, take a shower and go to bed.'' he ordered, before kneeling next to Armin. Before he could say something, Erwin entered to room. ''Riviaille, Yeager and Arlert! What's going on? I heard a ruckus earlier.'' he said, furrowing his eyebrows. None of them knew what to say, but Sasha, who was eating the last loaf of bread, did know how to explain the situation. ''F'evi and Ewen vwere fighding, Suh.'' she said with her mouth full. ''I was involved too, Sir.'' Armin admitted, ''My office, now.'' he told them.

Once they arrived at the office, Erwin sat down and asked, ''Rivaille, what in the world is so important that you've to fight about it in front of the Cadets? I know you and Yeager don't get along, but you know how to use your mouth.'' Erwin said, eyeing Levi angrily. ''Sir, he provoked me, Sir.'' Eren said. ''What do you mean?'' Erwin asked, curious what Levi could have said.

''Well, the others kinda teased him during dinner, and at first I didn't understand why, but it was fun, so I joined in. Later on, I realized it was because Levi and Armin are in a relationship, and since Armin is my best friend, I wanted to know what happend. But he said such mean things during the explaination, I sorta snapped and..'' Eren rambled, but Erwin interupted him, ''Armin and Levi are in a what? You know what. You join the rest in cleaning, and as punishment, I want you to help with Hanji's research for a day. Now please leave me, Rivaille and Arlert alone.'' he asked.

Eren paled, wondering what the Titan-crazed woman would want to do to him, but nodded before leaving the room. ''Arlert, is this true?'' Erwin asked, as Eren left the room. ''Ah, ehr, yes.. Sir'' Armin blushed. ''Levi, you do realise it's against regulations to date someone with a lower rank than you?'' Erwin asked. Levi nodded curtly, before saying, ''Sir, I don't give a shit about my status. I'd rather become a Cadet, and give my position to Ackerman, then to give up my feelings for Armin.''

''It's good to hear you've found someone you love, and it's for the better that it'll be impossible to knock Armin up, but I fear that your new-found love could cause a distraction out there. Therefore I must ask you to think it over, before-'' he never could finish his sentence, because Armin saluted, and said ''Sir. I understand what you're saying, but I can give you my promise that we devote our hearts to the cause. Defeating the Titans has our priorities, but don't you think it's only natural to have such feelings as love? If anything, love makes one stronger, for you fight not only for yourself, but also for your beloved. Look at Franz and Hannah, they never stopped fighting. They never stopped, because they want a new and better world, in case they ever get a child.''

Silence fell. Armin trembled a little, as Erwin was taken aback, and Levi stared in shock at the blond. Just as Armin was about to apoligize, Erwin started to laugh hard. Levi joined in, and Armin was confused. After the fit of laughter, Erwin wiped some tears away, before finally responding, ''Sorry. You were so adorable just now. I can see why Levi likes you so much.'' he chuckled. Levi smiled, before taking Armin's hand in his, and said ''I agree with everything Armin just said.'' Erwin smiled, before saying, ''I can see that you're very loyal to each other, and to be quite honest, I never expected Levi to find love. I suppose I could let it go, as long as you keep it on the down low, and don't cause any distractions.''

''Thank you...'' Armin mumbled. ''Well, Levi could you tell the cadets to go to bed, regardless of whether they are done or not. It's getting late.'' he said, and Levi nodded assent, before heading towards the kitchen. Erwin folded his hands together, while looking at the other blond. ''Armin, there was something I wanted to discuss with you, I've already talked it over with Lenz.'' he said, before unfolding his hands again, and motioning Armin to sit. Armin sat across from Erwin, wondering what Erwin and Krista had been talking about. ''Is this about what happened at the Titan forest?'' he asked nervously.

''It's connected. I have to figure out what to do with Reiner and Bertholdt. Lenz requested they be allowed to live and serve the Corps, because they intended no harm, but that doesn't change the fact they are responsible for the deaths of thousands of people.'' Erwin said. Armin nodded in understanding, before saying ''I agree with what you say, but I don't think they deserve a death penalty straight away. They did have their own reasons for what they did. I don't believe they had the right approach, but I do believe they have the right to explain themselves, just like Eren did. However, most civilians will be prejudiced, and won't listen to what they say. I think it would be fairer to try them before a military tribunal.''

''I'll take this in consideration. Please go fetch Levi, I've a feeling he won't allow the cadets to stop before the plates are clean enough, but they'll need their sleep.'' Erwin said with a gentle smile. ''Yes, Sir.'' Armin replied, before running to the kitchen as well, only to find Levi washing the plates. ''Need help?'' he asked, but Levi shook his head. ''It's fine, I'm almost done. Go to bed, Armin.'' he replied.

Armin smiled, but stubbornly grabbed a towel, and started drying the plates. He waited a bit, then asked timidly, ''What did you say to make Eren snap?'' Levi looked at him, before saying ''I said that we would give our relationship a chance, and that even if we would go out, he would still be able to see you.'' Armin looked at him questionly, before replying, ''Did you say it in a certain tone, or maybe with other words? Eren sometimes doesn't get what people are saying, and tends to misinterpret.''

Levi pursed his lips, before saying, ''I may have said a thing or two that may have confused him. I did not intentionally provoke him.'' Armin hesitated, before saying, ''We can talk to him in the morning, to smooth this over.''

After they were done, Armin wanted to wish Levi goodnight, and head to his own bed, but Levi grabbed his hand, and said ''It's a cold night. If you want to, you can come with me.'' Armin said nothing, but nodded before allowing Levi to lead him to his room. They undressed, and Levi lend Armin a shirt, before they crawled into bed, snuggling against each other. ''Good night, Rivaille..'' Armin said. ''Sweet dreams, Arlert'' Levi replied, pecking Armin's forehead once more before both of them fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten.

The silence before the storm.

When Armin woke up the next day, it was pouring. The day had barely started, and the weather might still clear, but for now it was kind of grim. It was, however, also somewhat comforting and peacefull. Armin yawned, before he tried to stretch, only to find out he couldn't move his arms. ''What the...?'' he said, before looking at his arms. He noticed they were captured in a hug.

''Eren, it has been a while since you fell asleep in the same bed. Did you have a bad dream again?'' Armin muttered before looking the other in the eye. Levi smiled a little, as he stared back. ''I'm not sure about Eren, but I had pleasent dreams.'' he replied, which made Armin turn crimson. ''Ah, that's good. I... ehr... slept good as well.'' he mumbled, smiling sheepishly at Levi.

''It's alright, Armin. I would have been more worried if a certain horse would sleep next to you, because he was afraid of the storm, or something stupid like that.'' Levi replied. Armin giggled, before replying, ''Jean and I are nothing more than good friends. Too be honest, he was one of the first people to think you were fond of me.'' Levi shrugged, before saying, ''I'm not going to thank Sir Horseface if that's what you want,'' before snogging Armin. After he was done, Armin wanted to reply, but once again they were disturbed by a certain rumbling sound.

''I'm not sure why, but I think your stomach has a grudge against me.'' Levi joked. ''I ought to give it a stern talking to, since I really love you.'' Armin said. Levi leaned in again, but Armin's stomach grumbled even louder. ''I'm not suprised, though. Sasha stole a lot of food from other Cadets yesterday. I wouldn't think it far-fetched you were a victim of her escapades as well.'' Levi told him.

''I could see whether the mess hall is open at this time already, but I'm guessing it isn't. I think I'll try to get some more sleep, but if I enter the main dormitory, I'll wake the guys up.'' Armin pondered. ''And what is wrong with sleeping in here?'' Levi asked, raising an eyebrow. ''Ehr, nothing. I figured it would be better if I were to sleep there, Erwin was right when he said we shouldn't become a distraction to ourselves.'' Armin said.

Levi sighed before replying ''I guess you're right. It's for the better if you keep hanging out with your friends, and I had plans to talk to Erwin anyways,'' he then disentangled himself from Armin. ''Thanks for understanding.'' Armin said, before pushing the covers off. ''I'll see you during breakfast, or dinner, I guess.'' Levi said, before Armin smiled, and headed of to the main sleeping dorm.

Once he arrived there, he tried to open the door as quietly as possible. It creaked a little, making Armin wince, but no-one seemed disturbed, Armin gathered the snoring had drowned out the door's noise. When he got in, he noticed Eren had fallen onto the ground, Jean was happily snoring and Connie, suprisingly enough, was sitting upright, looking at the other sleeping teens. ''What happened to you last night? You never returned after you followed Erwin, and too be quite frank, Eren was worried sick.'' Connie told him, in a what he believed was a hushed voice.

Armin stared at him with wide eyes, before sitting down next to him. ''Ehr, I was helping the Heichou to clean the last bit of the dishes.'' Armin replied. ''Ahhh, so that's what they call it nowadays.'' Connie teased. ''Connie!'' Armin yelped, before Connie gave him a grin. ''No worries, Armin. We kinda figured it out before dinner yesterday. Which is why I pulled you to our table. That, and it was fun to annoy Levi.''

''I knew that was the reason the very second you grabbed my arm. It was not very nice to tease him like that, though.'' Armin said with a soft smile on his face, staring dreamily. ''You really like him a lot, don't you?'' Connie asked. ''Yes. At first I was intimidated, but Levi is really nice.'' Armin told him. Just as Connie was about to reply, they heard a loud snore, and saw Jean turn in his sleep before tumbling out of his bed, pulling his blanket with him.

''Idiot.'' Connie muttered, making Armin look at him. ''Connie?'' he asked. Connie stared at him, asking, ''What's wrong?'' Armin shook his head, ''Nothing. Do you remember you caught me kissing my pillow during my sleep?'' he asked. ''Sure do, it was funny. And don't worry, your secret habit is safe with me. I may not be the smartest around, but I do know how to keep a secret.'' Connie said.

Armin smiled before saying ''Thanks, but that's not what I wanted to ask. It has nothing to do with kissing either. I was just wondering, do you have any advice?. It's just, I'm not very used to dating and I really don't want to dissappoint Levi . When I was younger I never once cared about romance. Only about my grandfather, books, the ocean, Eren and Mikasa. I really never thought about getting involved with someone, figuring I would perhaps die in a battle, or remain fighting until I'm too old to do so, but a-''

Connie stopped his rambling. ''First, I'm going to give the advice every single friend has ever given you, stop being so insecure. Levi likes you, so you don't have anything to worry about. Second, if Levi really cares about you, then I'm pretty sure he won't do anything that you aren't ready for. And you're basically like an open book, so he knows when you're feeling insecure. It would be for the better if you tried to say what is on you mind.'' Connie said.

''I guess I should.'' Armin said. ''If you need any other advice, according to Sasha, love goes trough the stomach. That's why she keeps trying to feed Mikasa every once in a while. But I don't think that's very wise advice, so it would be for the best if you'd forget about that.'' Connie said. ''I wouldn't even try to feed Levi. It's not respectful to do that to your superior, and even if we're lovers, he's still the vice-commander.'' Armin said.

''Well, that is all I've got to say about it. In case you ever need to talk it over with someone, I guess you would be better off by talking with Krista, or Jean. But I can always try and listen to you.'' Connie offered. ''Thanks. How about we try and wake those two up?'' Armin grinned, and Connie gave a large grin back. ''Well, I guess we can do a little prank.'' he said while he stood up, pulling Armin with him

As the two snuck to the bathroom, both grinning like maniacs, Levi left his room fully dressed. He walked up to Erwin's bedroom, then knocked on the door. When he didn't receive an answer, Levi shrugged, before heading to Erwin's office. He knocked, only to hear ''Enter''. He opened the door, spotting Mike standing next to Erwin, who was smiling gently.

''You're up rather early.'' Erwin said. ''Yeah, I wanted to talk to you. That's if you're done with talking to Mike.'' Levi said. Erwin stared at Mike, who just shrugged, before saying ''I've got nothing more to say. I'll go ahead, and sent the pigeon with the message back to court.'' Levi had never heard Mike utter a full sentence and raised an eyebrow, but Mike sniffed him, before he pat him on the shoulder, grunted ''Congratulations.'' and left.

''Something wrong?'' Erwin asked, while Levi took a seat. ''Your response from yesterday seemed off. I laughed along, but it is unlike you to write it off as being adorable. What was your real reason?'' Levi asked. ''You're really observant, I like to believe I taught you well. Most people don't question what I'm really thinking, you and Mike are the only ones.'' Erwin replied.

''Well, we do know you longer than anyone else.'' Levi responded. ''True. But Arlert actually was quite endearing when he stood up for you. His actions proved to me that he really likes you a lot. When Arlert first came in, Shadis' rapport described him as a smart, but weak person. What he showed there was character, and I for one can appreciate that.'' Erwin told him.

''And the other reason?'' Levi asked. Erwin's smile faltered, as he folded his hands together. ''I was much alike Arlert when I was younger. Assertive, strategizing, and I too fell in love once with a fellow female soldier . But I was too focused on love, forgot about my duties, until one faithful day a Titan attack on Trost occured. We were in different groups, but after the mission was completed, I desperately called for her, for I could not see her. The remaining soldier of her squad gave a sympathetic look, and that's when I realised she didn't survive.''

Levi frowned, but did not interupt. Erwin stood at the window as he gazed outside, where Hanji was running around. ''When we rode back, she told me what had happened to her. That my beloved had been distracted when she saw me fighting in the distance, forgetting there were Titans in her vicinity. I never forgave myself when I heard that. I don't want you have the same pain, to go through the same ordeal.'' Erwin said.

He glanced quickly at Levi, before staring outside again. ''I just want to make sure something like that doesn't happen to either of you. You're valuable to the Corps, Levi, and Arlert has proven to be quite the strategist. I don't want either of you to get hurt by something foolish as love.'' Erwin explained. ''I can assure you..'' Levi started, but Erwin interupted him ''Can you really assure me nothing like that will happen? Because, if you face reality, anything can happen. Look at what happened to Petra, she loved you and tried to protect you no matter what. Do you remember what happened to her? Who are you to say the same thing will not happen to Armin?''

Levi sighed before getting up. ''Right.. I'll take everything into consideration. If you don't mind, I'm going to see if Hanji needs help.'' As he left, Erwin stared outside again, skywards. ''I doubt he'll make the same mistakes I did, but I can't afford him to do so.'' he said to no-one in particulair, before going back to his paperwork.

Levi was heading down the hall, intending to go downstairs to see if Hanji wasn't planning to do something crazy, or to prevent her from bugging anyone with her dreaded tales about Titans, and how great they were. But as he was walking down the corridor, he spotted his boyfriend, carrying a bucket of water. Armin gently knocked on the door that led to the room where the male cadets slept, only for it to be opened by Connie. 'Seriously, when did they become such good friends?' Levi pondered once again. The duo sniggered, before Connie allowed Armin to enter.

Levi's curiousity grew, but he decided he shouldn't bother. They were probably washing away some stain that had grown on the floor, or more likely, they were washing some clothing. He decided it would be for the best if he returned to his original plan, finding out whether Hanji was terrorizing anyone, but before he could even take a step, he heard two screams, followed by loud laughter.

Then the dorm room door slammed open, revealing a soaking Jean and Eren, followed by Connie, who could barely contain his laughter and a nervous looking Armin. ''That wasn't funny , Connie!'' Jean said, and Eren agreed wholeheartedly. ''Well, it was my idea to wake you. We could have breakfast together.'' Armin said, before Jean sighed and Eren smiled, before saying, ''Sure thing, but the next time, just wake me like you usually do.'' Levi tch' ed at that comment before saying ''It is six in the morning, keep it down.'' then he headed downstairs, gaining confused looks from the cadets.

''What's crawled up his ass and died?'' Levi heard Jean ask. Levi decided to leave Armin to reply, it didn't really matter what the blond would say. He found Hanji, soaked to the bone, cleaning her boots. ''I thought I heard your voice outside, what were you doing there?'' Levi asked. ''Ah, Levi. I was preparing a thing or two for my experiment with Eren, Erwin said he would assist me.'' she answered. ''I know, I was there when Erwin told him to.'' Levi replied.

''Anyhow, that doesn't matter. Since Reiner and Bertholdt have been captured, the king worries too much, and ordered the MP to take them and hang them. But Erwin saw it coming, and send a letter to Commander Pixis, who asked to Duke to give them a fair trial, with a chance to explain themselves before any verdict is made. We're summoned to court this afternoon.'' Hanji said, before biting her lip. ''What is wrong?'' Levi asked, as he noticed how nervous she suddenly seemed. ''Well, some of our cadets have to testify about what happened out there. I fear the judge will ask them what they think that should be done.'' she said.

''So what? They betrayed humanity. Whatever harsh words will be spoken, they deserve it. To be frank, this whole trial is nonsense.'' Levi said. ''That's what you think, but I'm curious to hear what they have to say. And regarding those harsh words, I don't think it's fair. I mean, if Erwin or I were in their situation, then what would you think? What would you say?'' Hanji asked.

''If you and Erwin were assholes that sacrificed a large part of humanity for any reason at all, trashing those walls like they were nothing, when you could have asked for help, I would think you deserved to die.'' Levi said. ''But, they are not you, Levi. They're connected to the cadets, and from what I understood they were great friends. I know you never see them as...'' Hanji rambled, before Levi grabbed her hair, and slammed her against the wall. ''I said they deserved to die.''

''Levi...'' she said dazed, before pushing the other away. ''I don't know what changed your mood this time, but I suggest that you take a nap.'' then ran away. Levi punched the wall, before sliding to the ground. ''I'm sorry..'' he muttered, before leaning against the wall, pressing his hands against his face.

''Jean and I are going to get breakfast, are you coming too?'' Connie asked, as Eren had finished showering, currently dressing himself. ''Sure, I'm starving.'' Armin said, but Eren stopped him. ''We'll join you soon.'' he said. Connie and Jean gave him an odd look, but decided against saying something, and left the best friends alone. ''Is there something wrong, Eren?'' Armin asked. Eren sighed, before he sat down on his bed and said, ''I'm sorry I ratted you out yesterday. What did Erwin say after I left?'' Armin sighed, ''You were angry, Eren. I understand, but you must try to get along with Levi. As for what Erwin said...'' Armin sighed heavily. ''What? Did he upset you? Is that why Levi's in a foul mood?'' Eren asked.

''Erwin suggested we should take our relationship in consideration. It may become a distraction on the battlefield, and I do understand what he's talking about, I really do. But, after he said that, something broke in me. I saluted him, before stating how love could cause one to be determinded to win the battle against Titans.'' Armin said. ''Good for you, Armin. I'm really proud of you.'' Eren said, with a smile. ''Thank you. But I think Erwin does have a point, maybe we should take it easy. I mean, I like Levi a lot, and I love that we have something going on, but all of this is merely based on a feeling.''

''But you stood up for yourself, because of your feelings for him. I may not be too fond of Levi, but I like that he cares for you, and you obviously do the same. Erwin just wanted to make sure, and after what you said, I'm pretty sure it should be obvious to him that the two of you won't be seperated easily.'' Before Armin could reply, they heard a knock on the door. ''We're coming already, Jean. Jeez, you... ought... to be more.. relaxed'' Eren started shouting, but when the door opened, his voice quickly petered out when he saw commander Erwin. ''I.. sorry, Sir.'' he said saluting. ''It's alright. Arlert, I need to talk to you.'' Erwin asked.

Armin walked to the door, asking ''Is there something wrong, Sir?'' Erwin nodded sternly, before saying ''Please follow me, Arlert. Yeager, tell Kirchstein to go to my office as well.'' Armin's stomach grumbled after Erwin was done speaking. ''And tell him to bring a piece of bread for Arlert.'' Erwin added, before heading back to his office. Armin trailed after him, while Eren hurried to the mess hall. After Eren gave Jean the message, Jean pried Sasha's bread out of her clutches, saying it was for some greater need and ran to Erwin's office, wondering why he was being summoned there.

When he arrived at the office, Jean knocked on the door. ''Come in.'' Erwin's voice said. ''Sir, you wanted to see me, Sir?'' he asked, before he spotted Ymir, Krista and Armin sitting across from Erwin. ''Yes. Please give Arlert his breakfast, and sit down.'' Erwin said. Jean did so. ''I'm sorry to ask you all to come here on such a short notice, but I've an important duty for each of you.'' Erwin said. ''What do you mean, Sir?'' Krista asked in a small voice. ''The trial of Bertholdt and Reiner will be held today. We wanted to do it later, to hold them captive longer, but the king wanted it to be done as soon as possible.''

''But what do we have to do with it?'' Ymir asked. Erwin replied, ''Since we haven't yet made a report on the case, something I was planning to do today, we must ask you to testify. We ask you, Ymir and Jean, to tell what happened during your fight, and we ask you, Krista and Armin, to tell what happened during the time that you were kidnapped. Do not keep any information to yourself, you may regret it later on.''

''But Sir...'' Krista started. ''Something wrong, Lenz?'' he asked. ''They... they are our friends. Do you really need us to be testifying against them?'' she asked, with wide eyes. ''Krista, they don't ask us to decide what will happen to either of them. They just want to hear the facts.'' Armin said. ''Actually, the judge may ask you for your opinions. Please take all of this in consideration, but do not discuss it with the other cadets or among yourself.'' Erwin told them.

''Yes, Sir!'' they saluted, before heading back to the others. However, the day passed faster than any of them anticipated, and soon they were gathered outside, ready to go the trial. Hannah and Franz each rode a horse, riding next to Erwin, who was guiding the way towards the courthouse. The prisoners were transported in a cart, under the sharp eye of a few Survey members, that were led by Hanji, followed by the cadets that were to testify escorted by Levi. ''I'm scared.'' Jean and Armin heard Krista whimper. ''I understand, but you know this needs to be done.'' Ymir ,who was riding close by, said soothingly.

''Armin?'' Jean asked.''Yes, Jean?'' Armin replied. ''I know you're not looking forward to this. But, please, don't think this over too much. As much as you like Bertholdt and Reiner, you realise what they have done, right?'' Jean asked. ''I do. But I've heard their reasons. They aren't solid, but I can see what they were trying to achieve. They were aiming for freedom, Jean. I don't intend to defend their ideas, but I'm not opposed to their cause. It just needs a different approach, Jean, and should we find it, I would be willing to die for that cause.'' Armin explained.

Levi overheard their conversation, and did not like it. 'Armin..' he thought, before thinking about Petra again. 'Petra said the same thing once. She died, hoping that we would gain freedom after we defeated the Titans. If Armin were to die, for the same reasons she did, is this really just?' he wondered. ''I don't know about the cause, and to be quite frank, I don't want to know.'' Jean said. Armin replied in a soft voice ''If you're not interested, I won't tell, but I do want you to know that Bertholdt said he would give himself up for judgment after they would be done.'' but before Jean could react, Levi coughed harshly.

That did gain Jean and Armin's attention, and Levi said, ''You do realise it's forbidden to talk about the case before the trial? It would interfere with personal stories and give you the chance to synchronize your stories.'' Levi told them. Jean gave him a weird look, and Armin blushed before he said, ''I'm sorry, it was not my intention to discuss it with Jean, Sir.''

Jean rolled his eyes, then rode on in silence, but he did notice an awkward silence between Armin and Levi. ''So, ehr, you guys enjoyed dinner last night?'' Jean asked sheepishly. Levi narrowed his eyes, while Armin nodded softly. Jean nodded back, then replied ''That's good, I guess, what about-'' he could not finish his sentence because Levi interrupted him, saying, ''Could you please shut your trap for a minute. You should be occupied with the coming trial.''

Jean gave Armin a look, and saw that Armin was worried about Levi's irritated behaviour, but he decided it was for the best that he wouldn't interfere with the relationship for now. ''Yes, Sir.'' Jean said, before looking the other way. ''Sir?'' Armin asked in a soft voice, after a few more minutes of of silence. ''Something wrong?'' Levi asked, raising his eyebrow. ''I, ehr, did I say something wrong this morning?'' Armin asked.

''Why would you think that? You know what, never mind, I need to be alone with my thoughts for now.'' Levi said. ''Yes, Sir.'' Armin murmured but the awkward silence remained as they approached the courthall. After they had arrived, and stabled the horses, Erwin walked up to the four cadets. ''Follow me.'' he said, and the cadets saluted, then followed him to a small room. ''Wait here until Hanji comes to get you. Once again, you're not allowed to talk about Reiner, Bertholdt or your ordeal.'' Erwin told them, as they took their seats.

''Yes, Sir.'' they replied, making Erwin smile before he headed back. Krista whimpered softly, making Ymir bite her lip, before pulling the petite blonde against her, whispering gentle, comforting words into her ear. ''Who's talking there?!'' the guard outside yelled at them. He entered the room, spotted Ymir and Krista, and told them to move apart. ''Why?'' Ymir asked him. ''Because you're not allowed to talk.'' the guard replied. Ymir moved away from Krista before standing up and shouting, ''We aren't allowed to discuss the case, but I'm allowed to comfort her. Damn it, she has just returned from being kidnapped!'' The guard paled a little at the violent reaction, but before he could reply, Jean said, ''Ymir, just hug her to comfort her. We shouldn't take out the stress on the guards, save it for the trial.'' Ymir growled before sitting down and pulling Krista on her lap. The guard gave an appreciative nod to Jean, then stepped out of the room again.

They waited a few more moments in silence, each with the trial on their minds, before Hanji entered, greeting them. ''They've finished the preparations. Only speak when you're spoken to, and don't interfere with anything someone says or even mumbles.'' she instructed them, before guiding them to the hall. Armin sighed, it was all too familiar when he entered the room. He saw Reiner and Bertholdt attached to similar poles as the one Eren used to be tied to, but it had a different feeling then when Eren had his trial. Armin looked around, before making eye-contact with Levi, who looked at him worriedly. Armin tried to give a smile, but broke eye-contact as someone announced the arrival of the judge. Everyone stood up, save for Reiner and Bertholdt, and saluted the judge. ''Everyone, be seated.'' the judge ordered, and everyone complied.

''We are gathered for the trial against Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover for their horrific crimes against humanity, in their capacity as the armored and 50-foot Titan.'' the judge said, looking at the boys in question, who paled a little. ''With the charges and the evidence brought against you, you should have been summarily executed the moment you were captured. However, Commander Smith has requested the case be brought to trial. Commander, if I may be so bold, what is the reason you requested this trial?'' the judge asked, looking at Erwin.

''Your honor, even though Braun and Hoover have been a threath to humanity, they had their reasons for what they did, or at least, that is what I've gathered from the two cadets they kidnapped a few days ago. I also understood, that when they would have succeeded or failed in their cause, they intended to give themselves up for judgement. It may go against everything the Survey stands for, but I can only admire the courage needed to be able to give yourselves up to be judged, even though either of them must have realised that a trial would end in certain death. For this reason, I think it's only fair to allow them to explain themselves.'' Erwin said.

''They went on a rampage and destroyed the holy walls that have been gifted to humanity. They should die!'' someone yelled, Armin recognized him, it was the same priest that wanted Eren executed. There was nothing wrong with faith, but these people took it a little too far, worshipping the wall as if it were a gift from God. ''Silence. I did not give you permission to speak.'' The judge thundered at him, and the man shut up, though he glowered at the judge.

''Alright, thank you, Mr. Smith. Accused Hoover, do you have a justification for what you did?'' the judge asked, looking at Bertholdt. ''Sir, yes, sir. When Reiner and I were younger, we survived being swallowed by a Titan. Shortly after that we discovered we could shift into Titans. We intended to tell about this ability at first, to see if it could be of any use to mankind, but when we tried explaining to the remaining people of our village, they chased us. They tried to kill us for what we had become, overlooking the possibilities our shifting could bring.'' he swallowed before continuing, ''After we barely survived for a few years, we met another shifter. Her name was Annie, and she had been through the same ordeal. Back then, we had lost our faith in humanity, longing to leave it all, live outside the walls.''

''Go on.'' The Judge told him, ignoring the whispering among the people in the court. ''We figured that we couldn't be the only ones with this wish, that there were more people that felt confined by the wall. We're isolated, and it is taking it's toll on humanity. But we also knew that the king and his court, devoutly obeyed by over ninety percent of the population, would tell us that there is nothing out there but Titans. It's true that we have to fight our way through them, but I do believe there is more out there than what they tell us.'' Bertholdt said. ''So you decided that tearing down the walls would be the solution? That it would force people to fight? Do you have any idea how many people died because of what you did?'' the judge questioned.

''Yes, sir, I do realise how many have suffered because of that. But there were more reasons for tearing down the walls than just forcing people to fight. It's for freedom, something we will never gain if we don't get rid of the walls.'' Bertholdt said. ''So you wreck something this precious!'' the mad Wall-priest shouted. ''Silence!'' the judge ordered. ''I've heard enough from you. One more outburst, and you're banned from this court.'' The judge warned him, before looking at Reiner. ''Do you have something you'd like to add?'' he asked.

''Nothing much left to say, sir. I agree with everything Bertholdt just said. Most of the harm we caused is irrepairable, for both the living and the dead. I feel sorry for that. I know our approach was foolish, we should have said something, anything, after Eren Yeager's trial, but we were damaged by our pasts. I still think our cause was just.'' he added. An awkward silence fell over the room, and most avoided eye-contact with either the judge or the two titan-shifters. ''Thank you, Accused Braun.'' the judge spoke after a lengthy pause. ''This was concerning your crimes as related to wrecking the walls, and causing the deaths of thousands. Now about what happened a few days ago, when you kidnapped the cadets Krista Lenz, and Armin Arlert. What were your objectives?'' the judge asked.

''Our objective was to kidnap Eren Yeager, to ask him to assist our cause, while Annie would distract the Survey. I'm sure I don't have to add that this failed miserably, and in desperation we took Krista and Armin with us. We never had the intention to hurt them.'' Reiner replied. ''Lenz, Arlert? Is this what happened?'' the judge asked, and the two blondes nodded. ''Very well, I'd like to hear your versions of the events as well. Lenz, would you please start?'' the judge asked her.

Krista nodded, before she stood up and saluted the judge. ''Reiner is speaking the truth, Sir. They did nothing other than keeping us safe during the evening we were being kidnapped. I didn't hear anything about their objectives.'' she testified. The judge considered, then asked, ''If you had any say in their fate, or punishment after this trial, what do you believe should be done, Miss Lenz?'' Krista became a little nervous, but still managed to say, ''I'd keep them alive, and allow them to serve the corps under sharp supervision. It'd be hard for them to live with the burden of so many deaths on their conscience, but killing them in vengeance is hard to justify when humanity has such great need. And personally, I think their abilitities could be used for what's right.'' she said.

''Thank you, Miss Lenz, I'll take it into consideration. Arlert, perhaps you can enlighten us on what happened out there?'' the judge narrowed his eyes as he was curious about the events of that night. He realised that even though he had asked Armin how he was doing, he had never asked what did actually happen. Armin hesitated, before standing up, saluting the judge as well.

''Sir, I agree with Krista when she says that Reiner and Bertholdt did nothing other than keeping us safe from the other titans. In addition to that, it was Bertholdt who helped Ymir when she was under attack during her attempt to rescue us. Aside from that, Bertholdt told me about what they did, and why they did it. I did not get any other information than you just recieved from him, Sir.'' he said. ''Arlert, during the time you trained with them in the 104th division, did you bond with either of them?'' the judge asked.

''Ehr, a little. They were always with Annie, so I didn't get to see them a lot. But I do see them as close friends that I can go to for advice, or when I just need someone to listen to me.'' he told the judge. ''Very well, you understand why I had to ask that, right?'' the judge asked. Armin nodded, understanding the judges intentions just fine. ''Good. I'll ask you the same question as I just did Lenz, what do you think has to be done with Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover?''

''I agree with Krista, Sir. They already have to live with the fact they murdered thousands of people, I can't imagine how difficult that must be. But most of all, even though their approach may have been wrong, I believe their intentions were good. As for their punishment, I think they'll recieve plenty within the Survey, if they are allowed to remain there.'' Armin said. ''Thank you, I'll take your opinion in consideration as well. I understood Cadet Ymir was saved by Hoover during the time she tried to rescue Lenz and Arlert. Cadet Ymir, did he really help you?'' the judge asked.

''Yes, Sir.'' she replied curtly. ''Very well, did you or Jean Kirchstein notice anything weird during the time you were in the Titan forest?'' Both of them shook their heads, and the judge clapped his hands, before announcing, ''Thank you for your co-operation. I'm going to retreat for a moment, to think about what has to be done. Do not abandon your positions, or provoke the accused during the time I'm gone. I'm afraid I can't stop you from chattering, but I advise you to not discuss the case for obvious reasons. '' he then left the courtroom.

Soon enough the judge returned, and the people stopped their whispering. ''After hearing the testimony, and carefully considering all relevant facts, I've reached my decision.'' the judge stated, before looking directly towards Bertholdt and Reiner. ''Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover, you're declared guilty of being Titan's intent upon mankind's destruction and wrecking the wall's as a means to such cause. Because of the many deaths and severe trauma many experienced due to your acts, I've got no choice but to execute the both of you. You'll be executed straight away, by court order. Guards, take them out of my sight.'' The judge intoned.

At that moment, Krista snapped. She screamed as she charged towards Reiner and Bertholdt, spreading her arms, using her body as a shield to keep the guards away. ''Miss Lenz, what are you doing? Get away from them.'' The judge ordered, but Krista shook her head. ''You can't harm them. They don't deserve this, please, you've got to reconsider.'' she said, as a guard grabbed her arms. But before he could pull her away, he felt someone tap his shoulder. As he looked to see who it was, Ymir's fist crashed into his nose, knocking him out cold.

''Miss Lenz, I'll not tolerate this behaviour. Who do you think you are to make such a rash move?'' the judge called out. ''My name is Historia.'' she said, making most of the people in the court gasp. The judge whispered astonished, ''Historia Reiss...'' Ymir said, ''Krista, you're...'' Krista stared back with a desperate look on her face. ''I'm so sorry, Ymir.'' she whispered. ''Guards, seize her!'' the wall-priest suddenly shouted. ''Will you be quiet, you presumptious fool, and don't even think about ordering around the guards. Leave this court immediately or I'll have you thrown out.'' The judge thundered once more, but the priest presented him with a scroll, signed by the king himself and carrying his seal.

''When Historia Reiss was but a child, the king asked me to watch over her. She ran off, God knows why, but that doesn't mean I'm absolved of my duty. It's my solemn responsibility to return her to her father's loving arms.'' he said. The judge raised his eyebrows, before he took the scroll from the priest's hand, to verify its authenticity . ''I see. Guards, please allow his subordinates to take miss Reiss with them.'' he ordered, and the guards stepped aside, as one of the henchmen grabbed Krista's arm. Ymir growled, starting to move to protect Krista, but Armin stopped her. ''Don't do it, Ymir.'' he said, as he laid a hand on her arm.

''Actually, seize them as well. I'm certain they conspire with the Titans, that's why they requested these two monsters to be saved.'' the priest ordered, and a few more of his henchman grabbed Armin, Jean and Ymir. Thinking this had gone far enough, Levi walked up to the priest and said, ''You can take Historia, if she is who she says she is, but the other three Cadets still belong to the Survey Corps. You have no authority here, so I won't let you take them.'' as he pointed his blade at the man's troat.

''Actually, according to this edict he can, unless there are no further suspicions they are involved with the two Titan's on trial.'' the judge interjected, in an irritated tone. The priest gave a smug smile, before tipping Levi's sword to the ground with his finger and shouted, ''Bring them to the castle, right now!'' as his subordinates moved to obey, the priest turned back to the judge. ''If these two aren't executed before nightfall, it will be your head hanging next to theirs.'' he said, before striding from the court.

As the door slammed shut, silence fell over the court, as everyone processed what just happened. ''Can he really do that?'' Levi demanded. ''I'm afraid so.'' the judge replied. As some guards took Reiner and Bertholdt to their death, and the crowd dispersed, Levi stalked up to Erwin. ''Did you plan this? Is this why you didn't want to make a report on the case? What are you plotting?'' he asked.

Erwin smiled mysteriously at him, before saying ''You'll see.'' he then accompanied the remaining Corps members to the horses. Levi frowned, not liking what was going on, but trusting Erwin had his reasons. Somehow he could not stop worrying about Armin, especially after their awkward silence when they headed towards the court. He sighed, before following Erwin outside.

''Let me out!'' Krista yelled, as they were being transported towards the castle that lay within wall Sina, the innermost wall. The other Cadets were tied up in a wagon behid her coach, and Krista had never been this lonely or scared. ''Krista... how could they do this to her?'' Ymir murmured. ''Just who is Historia Reiss?'' Jean asked, ignoring the girls. ''My guess is that she's the daughter of the king. But I'm not sure.'' Armin said. ''I've got a feeling, however, that someone planned for this happen.'' he added.

Ymir suddenly looked up, ''Why would anyone do that? Now we can't fight the titans, Reiner and Bertholdt will be executed, not to mention that the king is going to have our heads as well if he's listening to that lunatic priest.'' Ymir said rather loudly, ignoring the glares that were sent her way after she said this. ''Keep it down.'' Armin told her, then continued in a whisper, ''I think Erwin wanted this to happen. After all, if Krista really is Historia Reiss, then there is no evidence that Krista Lenz ever existed at all, before she was inducted in the 104th division. I'm trying to figure out why he could possibly want this.'' Jean replied ''Well, better think fast, because we'll arrive within the hour.'' as he looked at the castle they were approaching.

While they got closer to castle that ruled over the three walls, Reiner and Bertholdt were being held tightly, as Reiner's head was pushed onto a block of wood, and someone hovered over him with an axe. ''Reiner Braun, you are hereby executed for the sin of being a Titan, wrecking the walls Rose and Maria, and killing over thousands of people. Do you have any last words?'' the judge asked. ''I wish to tell Bertholdt just one more thing.'' Reiner requested. The guards looked at the judge, who nodded, and the guards that were holding Bertholdt pushed him on his knees in front of Reiner.

''Thank you for supporting me all these years, you're my best friend, Bertholdt.'' Reiner whispered. ''I couldn't have achieved anything without you. All is according to his plan. I just hope I'll see you in a next life.'' Bertholdt whispered back, before nodding to the guards. They pulled him away, and just as he regained his feet, the axe made contact with Reiner's neck, separating his head from his body. Bertholdt started to cry, and swallowed, hoping his death would be as quick as Reiner's.

''Do you have any last words, before we excecute you as well, Bertholdt Hoover?'' the Judge asked, as Bertholdt was made to kneel before the block of wood as well. ''Mankind says that Titans are the biggest threath to us, but if mankind would but look, they would see that their own cruelty brought their downfall upon them. I wish I would have used my abilities to protect humanity, but I fear it is too late for that now.'' Bertholdt said with tears in his eyes, before his head was separated from his body as well.


	11. We did not count on that

Chapter eleven

We did not count on that

It was evening when Hanji, Erwin, Levi and some others from the Survey arrived at their compound. Levi expected Mikasa and Eren to await them, if only to see how their friend was doing. Much to his suprise, they weren't, but Connie was. Whilst Erwin headed back to his office, and Hanji ran away, for who knows what reason, Connie walked up to Levi.

''Sir, where are the others?'' he asked. Levi frowned, before replying, ''There was a problem back at the court, and the other Cadets are..., I guess I'm not allowed to tell what happened yet.'' Connie deadpanned, ''Basically, they are kidnapped again, aren't they?'' Levi sighed and replied, ''What are you doing here, anyway?'' as he put his horse's sadle away.

''I was waiting for Armin and Jean.'' Connie said. ''Why?'' Levi asked, almost glaring in suspicion at Connie, who stared back, saying, ''They are my friends, Sir, it's what friends do.'' Connie said, as if it should make common sense. Levi sighed, before saying, ''You aren't supposed to be here, even if they are your friends, cadet Springer.'' Connie smirked, before asking, ''Sir, with all due respect, wouldn't you have done the same thing for your friends?'' Levi shook his head, before he said, ''I don't have many friends, and I always assumed I would see the fellow cadets in the sleeping room, and if not, it's safe to say they probably have been consumed. That's how the world works, and it always has worked that way, even when the Titan's weren't around.''

Connie was taken aback, muttering a dumbfounded ''Oh...'' But then he found his voice and continued, ''It's different now, isn't it, Sir?'' Levi frowned, ''What do you mean?'' he asked. ''I know you're dating Arlert, Sir. So, even if you haven't had many friends, you're clearly capable of loving someone. What if I would have gone on a expedition with him, and we would have returned tonight? Wouldn't you have awaited him, to at least confirm he's alive? I'm pretty sure Armin would do it for you. So, is it really that strange that I want to make sure that my friends are alive and well?'' Connie asked.

Levi tsk'ed, before he said, ''Arlert would have made sure for anyone, even if it were those betrayers Braun or Hoover. I would assume he would be alive and well, and if not..'' Levi didn't know what he would do, so he decided that he shouldn't continue that sentence. ''It's painful to even think about it, isn't it, Sir?'' Connie asked.

''Get lost. You're supposed to be in bed.'' Levi snapped. ''Oh, I see. I'm an idiot, so I don't know what Armin even sees in you. You are rather uncaring.'' Connie said, before he turned to head back to bed. ''What are you implying by that?'' Levi asked, as he grabbed the boys arm, preventing him from leaving the stable. ''Huh? I'm not plying any imps, I was just saying something.'' he said, making Levi groan.

''I'm saying that Armin is very insecure, even more so than usual, about dating you. He told me he wants to make sure he doesn't do anything wrong, and here you are, saying you wouldn't even check if he's alright if he were to return from a fight. If I were dating him, I'd not only make sure he's alright, I would confirm that everything was going well. It could be anything, from holding him or kissing him senseless, or at least until he can't think straight anymore. But I'm not in love with him, and we're not dating. You're with him, though, but I'm willing to bet that these thoughts never once crossed your mind. Now if you'll excuse me, I have been told to go to my bed.'' Connie said, before yanking his arm back, leaving a confused Levi standing there as he returned to his room, mumbling about the lack of passion these days.

When Connie arrived at the boy's dorm, he was greeted by Eren. ''Where are Armin and Jean? I thought you were waiting for them.'' Eren asked. ''They haven't returned yet, neither have Ymir or Krista. I don't know what's happened, Levi-Heichou refused to tell me.'' Connie replied. ''Maybe I should have a talk with him.'' Eren said. Connie shook his head, after noticing that Eren's face turned a rather interesting shade of red ''It's no good, you'll just fight with him again. I just gave him a piece of my mind, and to be quite frank, the Heichou has some serious thinking to do. I think commander Erwin will give an explaination of what happened at the court early in the morning.''

Eren sighed, walked to his bed and let himself fall on the matrass. ''When we were in the trainee squad, we had such a large and close group. I enjoyed our evenings together. I was so eager back then to join the Survey corps, to slay the titans and save humanity, but when I think about it, I really want to go back to those days.'' he said. Connie nodded, as he fell on his own bed as well. ''Maybe we'll be able to enjoy it again one day.'' Connie replied.

As they continued talking for a bit, Levi was wandering outside, hoping a nice evening walk would help him sleep. When he passed the spot where they had buried Sonny and Bean, he spotted someone sitting next to it. As he approached, he noticed that the person was talking to the graves. ''Hanji?'' he asked, and she looked up. ''Ah, Levi. Are you here to pay your respect to them as well?'' she asked, patting the spot next to her, inviting Levi to sit there. Levi sighed, before taking off his cloak, so he could sit on that instead of the dirty ground.

He spread it on the ground, before sitting down, but shook his head to Hanji's question. ''I was walking, thinking about what happened at the trial.'' he answered. ''I see. They gave Bertholdt and Reiner too much credit for everything. Sonny and Bean have been way more useful to mankind than those two Titan-shifters. Hell, even Eren is more useful.'' she joked, making Levi chuckle.

''I wasn't talking about them. I don't understand why Krista revealed her real name to be Historia. Who is she anyway, and why does that priest have the right to take the cadets, when he's supposed to babysit Historia?'' Levi wondered, more to himself then to Hanji. ''Historia is the king's daughter, she disappeared a few years ago, without a trace.'' Hanji explained. ''I assumed as much, but why did she reveal herself? What could she possibly hope to achieve with that, other than the bullshit that happened?'' he answered.

''Levi, is this really about what Historia did back there? Aren't you just worried about Armin?'' Hanji asked. Levi said nothing, burying his chin in his crossed arms, and pulled his knees up to his chest. ''Do you really like him that much?'' Hanji asked. Levi nodded ever so slowly making Hanji burst into a loud laughing fit. It took a while before she said, ''Sorry, it's funny to see you like this. You've never been this passionate about someone else, or at least, not that I've ever seen it.''

Levi rolled his eyes, but before he could make a remark, Hanji continued, ''It's a good thing. I never expected for you to find love. And even though I noticed your weird behaviour around Armin, I never expected you to fall for him, but he's got you wrapped around his little finger.'' she told him. ''Some people seem to disagree with that.'' Levi replied. Hanji frowned, before saying, ''So? If you really like Armin, you should ignore whatever negative things others say. And even though you aren't very social, you'll learn to adapt, and I'm sure Armin will help you with that. You remember that dinnertime, when he asked me if he could talk to me privately?''

Levi nodded, that dinner had been one of the most dreadful moments of his life, as the Cadets had continued their mission to keep Armin's innocence intact, which had resolved into fighting Eren Fucking Yeager, and afterwards, explaining to Erwin that he was dating Armin, and why it was a good idea, even though it was Armin that had been doing the explaining.

''Good. He came to me, wondering if he could make his friends' behaviour up to you, and asked if I had any ideas on how to do so. I asked him why, and all he muttered was that he loved you, and that he wanted to reassure you of that.'' she said. Levi grinned a little, before saying, ''I can see Armin asking that.'' Hanji continued, ''So, you really mean a lot to that kid.'' ''Thank you, Hanji. If you don't mind, I'd like to go to bed. Are you going to be alright?'' Levi asked.

She nodded, before petting Sonny's grave. ''I'll talk to them a bit more, thanking them for being the sweeties they were, and apologizing that we never found out who were responsible for their deaths, before I go to bed as well.'' she said. Levi rose, patting the dust of his cloak, and bade Hanji good night.

At the time Levi headed back to his room, Historia had locked herself in her room in the palace, and the imprisoned cadets had been brought to the castle's underground cells. Ymir lay on the ground, Armin sat with his back to the wall and Jean stood next tot him. ''I don't get it. God, I feel like such a Connie, but why does Krista says her name is Histria, or something like that?'' Jean mumbled. ''Her name is Historia. She was the daughter of the king, before she ran away.'' Ymir answered. ''How do you know that? And for that matter, how long have you known this?'' Jean asked.

''She confided in me the first night. I just never bothered to tell anyone. She wants to be free, to escape the palace, so why would I take that from her?'' Ymir replied. ''That's very kind of you, Ymir. It must be nice for Krista, or rather, Historia, to have a friend like that.'' Armin said. ''Anyhow, she's back here now, so, I guess I couldn't protect her in the end.'' Ymir said.

''Don't feel bad about it. You've always been there for Krista.'' Jean told her. ''Maybe you're right. I still don't understand what she was thinking, revealing herself like that.'' Ymir wondered. Armin replied ''I don't know. Maybe she thought it would help Bertholdt and Reiner. After all, if they die, because they are Titans, she may have been worried that you would be judged like that as well.''

''Does it really matter at this point? What do you think will happen to us?'' Jean asked. ''Maybe the Survey will prove our innocence, after all, they did imprison us for no good reason. Not that I'll leave if that means I have to leave Krista behind.'' Ymir answered. ''Even so, that'll take time, so my guess is that we'll be stuck here for quite a while.'' Armin sighed. He then lay on the ground as well, yawning a little.

''Tired?'' Jean asked, caressing the boy's head. ''A little.'' Armin mumbled. ''Can I ask you guys something weird?'' he added. ''Sure, it's not like we've got anything better to do at the moment.'' Jean joked, and Ymir shrugged, her way of saying it was ok to ask something. ''If your last day would be tomorrow, then how would you like to spend it?'' he asked. Silence fell as the other teens pondered the question.

Jean broke the silence, by laughing a little nervously. ''Jeez Armin, I thought you stopped thinking negative thoughts. I ought to talk to your boyfriend when we get back. But, if it would be the last day, I would want to spend it with my friends. Just hanging around a little, maybe go out and drink a bit. I would ask Mikasa to go out with me, but my guess is that she would tell me she knows Sasha likes her, and that it would make her day if she could date Mikasa. At the end, we'd all see the last sunset.'' Jean said.

''...Jean.'' Armin said, but Ymir smirked. ''Only you would be sentimental like that, dork. It surprises me that you won't be hanging out with the horses.'' Ymir said. ''Well, you are no better. You would spend it with Krista, god knows what you'll do with her the entire day.'' Jean shot back, shutting up Ymir. ''I think it's sweet she likes Krista that much. Love is a wonderful thing, isn't it?'' Armin asked, and Ymir nodded vehemently.

''So, you'd spend the last day with the shortest man on earth?'' Jean asked. Armin pondered for a bit, before nodding a little. ''I would hate to spend it without him. If I had the chance, I would like to talk with him, to tell him I really care a lot. Then, if I'd be able to do whatever I want, I'd take everyone to the ocean.'' Armin said, before he stood up. Ymir quirked her eyebrow, before asking, ''What are you doing?'' Jean gave Armin a look as well, wondering what the blond was trying to do.

''Tomorrow isn't going to be our last day. We may have lost Bertholdt and Reiner, but the Survey isn't going to stop fighting, because once we win, we'll gain freedom.'' Armin said, grabbing the cellbars. ''Armin, I don't understand what you're trying to say.'' Jean said, at the same time Ymir said, ''Armin, are you implying we should escape?''

''I'm saying that we carry the wings of freedom on our backs, and that we didn't do anything wrong. I don't think it's wise to escape now, because then we won't be able to free Krista. But I think I understand why she revealed herself, and what commander Erwin is planning. I just hope it will work out, but I've got a feeling in my gut that something is off. So, I'm saying that we should make an escape plan just in case.'' he told the others and they began to plot their escape.

As dawn broke over the palace, the king summoned his most trusted advisors. ''You've requested our presence, your highness?'' the wall-priest asked, and the king nodded gravely. ''It has come to my attention that more members of the Survey have turned out to be Titan shifters. I fear Commander Smith is hiding more cases than we have seen. I propose we execute al known Titan shifters apprehend the officers for interrogation and disband the Survey, before they contaminate more people. We might still be able to put an end to this predicament.'' the king told his advisors.

''That sounds like a excellent idea, my lord.'' the priest said as the others nodded assent. The king then ordered, ''Pastor, I want you to take a guard detachment and secure Eren Yeager, tell them it's for further questioning. Marshall Fubar, you will summon commander Smith, inform him that the Survey Corps is no longer considered of value to humanity, he is to disband the Survey, inform his men that no-one is allowed to go outside the walls any longer, and that any such acts will be punished with certain death upon return. Then tell him he and his officers are to report at the royal palace.'' Marshall Fubar saluted. ''Yes, my lord!''

The king gave sealed orders to both of the men and then said, ''Gentlemen, I believe this concludes our business here, godspeed, and let us pray we're not too late.'' After the advisors had filed out of the room, the king sighed, before heading to his daughters room. When he arrived there, he knocked on the door rather gently. ''Sweetie, it's your father.'' he called out. Krista obviously threw something at the door, before shouting, ''Go away! I don't want to talk to you, you monster!''

''You've got to come out and have breakfast soon, my angel.'' her father said, before adding, ''Historia, I missed you.'' Krista sniffed, before replying, ''No, you're lying. You've always lied to me, and I will not fall for it again. People deserve to know the truth, father, and I know they'll get it some day. Many people died for no purpose, just because you told them lies. I'm not going to stand for it anymore, and I'll not allow you to use me.'' The king snorted, before saying, ''Fine. You can stay here and starve for all I care. Maybe one of your friends can be 'persuaded', if you insist on being stubborn.'' then he snapped his fingers. Two guards presented themselves. ''Guard the door. I'm going to talk with the prisoners.'' he said, leaving Krista behind to cry some more.

When the king arrived at the cells, he found the three cadets thinking. ''A good day.'' he said, making Jean and Armin look up. Ymir glared at him, before barking, ''What do you want, you slimy git. Where's Krista?'' The king smiled slyly, before replying, ''Somewhere you can't go to, unless you work on your manners. I was hoping we would be able to have a civil conversation.''

While the three listened to the king, Levi was back at the compound, cleaning as he was thinking about what Connie said last night. 'Armin would be devastated to find out I wouldn't await his return. Why did I say that anyway?'' he thought as he scrubbed a stain away. He heard footsteps enter the bathroom, before the door shut, then a femine voice called out, ''Levi?'' He looked up to see Mikasa, staring at him. He narrowed his eyes, before turning back to the stain. ''What are you doing here? This is the men's room.'' he told her.

''Funny, I never see any man go in here. I was looking for you. Hanji told me I could find you here.'' she said. ''Well, you found me. What do you want?'' he said. ''You've returned with neither Armin, nor the others. I want to know where they are, and more specifically, I want to know whether Armin is safe.'' she said. Levi sighed, before throwing the sponge he was using in the bucket filled with soap, and said, ''Armin has been taken captive. I don't understand why, or what the king's plans are.''

He looked Mikasa in the eyes, and she shot him a glare. He understood why, she figured that he'd stand up, and assure her that her best friend would be safe and sound, but he didn't. He couldn't, not with his position. Then her glare turned sympathetic, as she said, ''I've been meaning to ask this for a while, but do you really care about Armin?'' Levi sighed, before remembering the shy smile Armin gave him. ''I do. I really do.'' he whispered.

Mikasa smiled slightly. ''I know you don't give a shit about much, Levi. I don't either. But like me, you do fight for the things you care about. If you really love Armin, and if Armin has been arrested for no good reason, then you'd go and save him. I know Eren and I are going to save him. You can try and stop us, or you can join us. The choice is up to you.'' she told him, turning away to head towards the horses. But before she could open the door, Levi grabbed her hand and said, ''Not without me.''

In the palace cells there was an awkward silence as Jean, Armin and Ymir stared at the king. ''Let me get this straight. You need one of us to speak to the people, to declare what you do is right, even though you just disbanded the Survey corps?'' Jean asked in disbelieve. ''I believe that is what I requested, though I did put it less blunt than you did.'' the king said, sipping from his tea. ''You keep horrible secrets from your people, and ordered someone to imprison your very own daughter. Why on earth would we help you?'' Ymir told him.

''If it's a reward you want, that can be arranged.'' the king simply said. ''Why won't you tell people the truth. Why won't you allow them to fight, and to escape?'' Armin asked. ''You remind me of a certain someone. You're the Arlert boy, right?'' the king asked. ''Yes, your highness. How do you know?'' Armin asked. ''Oh, your parents were just as noisy as you are. Your grandfather had told them a lot, information they weren't supposed to share. So, I sent everybody who knew on a suicide misson. Unfortunately, your grandfather couldn't go, as he had broken his leg, but he shut up readily enough when he realised what would happen to you should he ever spread that information again.'' the king smugly told, making Armin's eyes widen.

Commander Erwin barred the priest from entering compound and thundered, ''What do you mean you're here to take Eren Yeager with you!'' All the while signing at Hanji behind his back to gather the rest of the Survey. The priest replied, ''Like I said, I'm here under order from the king to secure Eren Yeager and bring him to the court for further questioning.'' Erwin said, ''The clergy has no authority over the Survey, we are part of the military, if the King truly ordered this, he would have sent someone significant, someone from the army." The priest yelled back angrily, ''Oh, he'll be along shortly, you and your whole infernal Survey are to be disbanded!''

''You bastard.'' Jean scowled, as Ymir balled her fist, ready to hit the older man. ''You what?'' Armin asked. The king replied by saying '''He didn't tell you? Well, I can imagine he never told you as you grew up, being the coward he was.'' Armin moved forward with trembling legs, making the king step back a little. Armin grabbed the bars as he said, ''My grandfather was a fantastic man. He taught me everything I needed, and sacrificed his life to save me. He was a good father, unlike you. So don't you dare call him a coward.''

Erwin Smith grinned a little, ''Oh, is that so? Interesting. So, just to verify, we're disbanded, and discharged of our military duties? Free men, so to say?'' he asked, making the wall-priest sweatdrop. ''Wait, I wasn't supposed to say that! Oh crap.'' he said, as he saw Hanji grin like a mad-woman. ''Say, Erwin, does this mean we can leave the walls and explore the world, instead of going on useless missions?'' she asked rather loudly, causing the entire corps to start muttering.

''Wait, I..'' The priest was lost for words. Erwin patted him on the shoulder, before saying, ''Thank you, sincerely.'' and then turned to the compound. ''Wait, what are you doing?'' the wall-priest called out. ''We're gathering our stuff, before we head out, to explore the world.'' Erwin simply said, causing the Survey members to run to the compound, ready to do what Erwin just told them. ''As for you taking Eren Yeager from us, no way in hell.'' Erwin said, before he motioned his subordinates to close the gates, leaving the baffled wall-priest outside, wondering what the hell just happened.

''How dare you?'' the king said to Armin, who was glaring at the king, and replied, ''I'm not your common peasant. I don't care what you say, I've got a mind of my own. And if the villagers knew what you were doing, they'd say the same thing.'' ''You do know I can have you beheaded?'' the king threathened, narrowing his eyes. ''I'm positive you can, after all, it appears anyone who criticised you in court has already been executed.'' Armin said. Ymir smirked, as Jean stared in shock at his friend. He had never once seen Armin like this. It reminded him of Eren, when he was angry, and Jean coulnd't help but wonder if Armin had some hidden anger issues as well.

''Actually, Armin, we ought to help this poor man, shouldn't we?'' Ymir suddenly suggested, making Armin and the king stare at her in suprise. ''Why?'' Armin exclaimed, and Ymir sighed, before saying, ''Come here for a bit.'' Armin drew near and she told him, ''He just needs someone to explain to the crowds what a good king he is. If we do it properly, they might see.'' she told him, and Armin suddenly realised what Ymir wanted.

''Ah, I see. Sir, I'm terribly sorry for what I just said. I guess the sudden revelation concerning the events of the death of my parents got me. I'd like to make up for my impertinence, if you'd still allow me to speak for you.'' Armin said, bowing to the king. ''That's better. In case the two of you are plotting any mischief, I'll have you know that you'll be under constant guard on the day itself. One wrong word, and I'll have your heads.'' he said. ''Certainly, Sire. If you so desire, I'll inform your Highness of the exact wording I'll use.'' Armin said.

''I'll take you up on that offer in a few days.'' the king told him, before adding, ''Now if you'll excuse me, I've other duties to attend to.'' As he left the room, Armin turned to Ymir, and said, ''I hope you thought this through.'' Ymir just grinned as she said, ''No worries, I'll explain it to you.'' and Armin smiled confidently.

''Where's Levi?'' Erwin asked Hanji as they were gathered in the mess hall. ''His stuff disappeared, sir. As did Mikasa's and Eren's.'' Hanji explained. ''For the love of god, they decided to leave on this moment.'' Erwin said in desperation. ''So, what should we do, sir?'' Sasha asked. ''I had been planning to go through the gates, but seeing as our most important assets left, I think we ought to go to the innermost wall, Sina. My guess is that we'll shall meet them there, and then we'll leave. Prepare for battle, as we shall encounter the military.'' Erwin told them. The Corps members saluted as they said, ''Yes, Sir!.''


	12. Sometimes, acting rash is your only answer.

Chapter twelve

Sometimes, acting rash is your only answer.

''Armin?'' a voice called out. Armin frowned, he wasn't ready to get out of bed yet. ''Armin, wake up.'' a voice ordered this time. Armin recognized the voice and sat up. ''Eren, what are you doing here? For that matter, where's here?'' Armin asked, as he noticed their surroundings. ''What do you mean? We're living our lives, Armin.'' Eren said, caressing Armin's cheek fondly. ''But... the king, my speech? I still haven't...'' Eren shushed him. ''The king can't harm us here, Armin.'' he said, hoisting Armin up, only to drag him to a fire pit where his friends were gathered. ''Armin, did you sleep in? You're unusually late getting up.'' Christa asked gently, as Eren sat him on a soft spot of grass.

''I...I don't know.'' he answered and someone next to him bellowed a loud laugh, before patting Armin on his back kinda hard. ''Arlert being confused, that's a first!'' he said, and Armin looked up to see Reiner. ''Reiner... you're supposed to be dead. What's going on?'' Armin asked, as he got up and backed away from the group. ''Armin, is there something wrong?'' another voice behind him asked.

Armin looked around, only to see Marco's face smiling back at him. ''Marco... death, I..'' Armin murmered, before backing away again, tripping over a leg that belonged to Annie. Bertholdt walked up to him, and said, ''Armin, you seem kind of pale. Did something happen? Did Shadis order you to-'' but Armin interrupted him, by shouting, ''Shut up! Shut up! You're dead. This is nothing but a bad dream.'' before pushing Bertholdt away and running off.

Eventually, he found himself in the dark woods, and didn't see the campfire any more, nor heard the yelling of his friends. He sat next to a rather large tree, and pulled his legs to his chest. ''Remain calm, Armin. It's nothing but a dream.'' he told himself. ''Rough night?'' a random voice asked, and Armin looked up to see Levi.

''Levi, I..'' Armin began. ''Shush, I won't tell them you're here. They've headed back already, though Eren seemed a bit worried.'' Levi said with a grin. ''What am I doing here, I don't understand what's going on.'' Armin said, desperate. ''You are correct, you know. This is nothing but a dream.'' Levi told him. ''But I've got to wake up. I'm going to...'' Levi silenced him with a kiss.

''I know, follow me.'' Levi took his hand, and helped Armin up. After a short walk, they reached the ocean. Armin's eyes widened, and he stared fondly at the ocean. ''This dream, Armin, is your goal. Keep it in mind, see it as your confidence boost, or..'' suddenly, Armin hugged Levi. ''I love the ocean, Levi. I'm glad I can see it, but, to tell you the truth, the real reason behind my actions is the fate of the people, and you. I... I really love you.'' Armin said. Levi took Armin's hands, and said, ''Armin I-''

Suddenly, Armin was being shaken awake. ''Oi, Armin, wake up'' Jean said, and Armin softly groaned. ''Something wrong?'' he asked. ''Tomorrow's the day. Tomorrow you'll have to speak for hundreds of villagers. How do you feel?'' Jean asked, sitting next to his smaller friend. ''Honestly? I guess I should feel some pressure, but to tell you the truth, I don't.'' Armin said, leaning his head on Jean's shoulder. ''I would be a nervous wreck.'' Jean told him.

''I remember that Marco once told me that about you. You freaked out, and told me that Marco was joking.'' Armin said. ''I should have told you the truth back then.'' Jean replied. ''But Mikasa was sitting near me, and you tried to impress her?'' Armin questioned. Jean shook his head, ''To be honest, I tried to be brave, I tried to lie to myself.'' Jean replied. ''But, I don't think you were lying, Jean. Of course, you'd be a nervous wreck, but you'd compose yourself, because the people around you need you to be a leader. Marco wasn't lying when he said that you'd make a good commander.'' Armin said.

''Thank you. Have you thought about what you're going to tell tomorrow?'' Jean asked. ''I sure have.'' Armin smiled back. ''You know, if Levi could see you now, he'd praise you.'' Jean said. ''I don't think he would. He would tell us to think it over, instead of acting as boldly as we're doing, knowing that the throne has more power than any titan could ever have over humanity.'' Armin said. ''But, if you know that, then why are you doing this?'' Jean asked. ''Levi may not act like it, but he's entitled to a certain rank. His rank is known nation-wide, also known by the king. My rank is lower than a commoner in the King's eyes. That difference is also the key why the king thinks that his threaths will work.''

''But why would he allow you to speak, if he could arrange someone like Levi or Erwin?'' Jean asked. But before Armin could reply, Ymir got up and said, ''Are you an idiot? I mean, even Connie could see what is going on here. Also, can we talk about something else than the mini-midget and the world'st worst father?'' she asked. Jean shrugged, and Armin let out a stiffled laugh, but couldn't help wonder how things were back at the compound and how Mikasa and Eren were doing.

''Shouldn't we've told Erwin that we are heading to Sina?'' Mikasa suddenly asked, as they allowed their horses to rest in an open field. Levi, who was washing his face, looked up. ''Erwin will understand once he finds out that we're missing. There isn't somewhere else that we need to be, and since you two went, he'll figure out that we are travelling towards the king to reclaim our soldiers.'' he replied. ''Then what are we doing here? Shouldn't we rush ourselves to Sina?'' Eren asked. ''Not yet. We can't just break into the castle, take prisoners with us, and walk out. It's highly guarded, and I don't want to suffer any losses if we don't have to.'' Levi said. In his mind he couldn't help but add 'I want Armin back in one piece if possible, I can't bear to lose another beloved.'

''I take it you've come up with a strategy?'' Mikasa asked. ''In the short time I had?'' Levi retorted. Mikasa just glared at him, and Levi chuckled. ''I don't have anything particular in mind, since we decided to go rescue them on a whim, but I guess that the two of you are rather good with acting rash, if necessary.'' he told her. ''I think I do have an idea'' Eren said, making Mikasa and Levi wonder what he possibly could have come up with.

''We ought to get some regular clothes, so they won't recognize us in the city. My guess is that we'll arrive by night, and then...'' Eren was stuck for a moment, as he pondered how they should enter the castle. ''Eren, breaking into the castle could cost our lives, and disguising ourselves won't be that much of a help, since we've got our 3DM gears.'' Mikasa explained. Levi countered, ''Actually, I think the plan's pretty good. We could use our raincoats, so we'll be able to wander around without standing out too much with our 3DM gear. It'll cover your face a bit, so that the royal guards can't regonize and imprison you as easily. As for arriving at nighttime, I agree on that as well.''

Eren grinned wide, happy that he was able to help, even if it was in a small way. ''What are you thinking, Levi?'' Mikasa asked. ''I just thought of it, but we won't have to break into the castle.'' Levi told her. ''What do you mean?'' Eren asked dumbfounded, how else were they going to free Armin?

''Tomorrow is supposed to be a celebration of the king's 'greatness'. He does it every year, and last year, Erwin had to give a speech how his majesty had 'helped' the Survey Corps to defeat the titans by giving them supplies, and everything they needed. The king is nothing but an actor and an attention whore.'' Levi said. Mikasa's fists clenched, as if ready to run to her horse and leave as fast as possible, so she could beat the hell out of this so-called king. ''That is where we'll strike. That's if the king is taking the cadets to the celebration, but I think he will, for several reasons. He may even have threathened them.'' Levi said.

''But won't there be lots of guards at this celebration?'' Eren asked him. Levi tch'ed before replying, ''So? We've a titan shifter, and two survey members that are plenty strong. I doubt that we can't handle a few soldiers.'' then walking up to his horse. ''I guess you're right.'' Eren said, as he and Mikasa followed Levi's example, before they headed off to the great wall of Sina.

''WHAT DO YOU MEAN ERWIN SMITH HAS LEFT?'' Marshall Fubar yelled at the wall-priest, who winced. ''I- he and his members...'' the wall-priest stuttered, before the Marshall stared angrily at him. ''Where did they go to!'' he demanded. ''Ex-commander Smith has mentioned something about seeking freedom, since they no longer had the duty of the Survey, Sir.'' one of the wall-priest companions dared to say. The marshall feigned interest as he looked to the pale wall-priest ''And how could Erwin Smith have been sure about not having his duties anymore if I have received orders that I should tell him that his corps was about to be disbanded?'' he said.

''I may have blurted it out in a fit of rage.'' the wall-priest replied with an ever so tiny voice. ''YOU IMBICILE. Here's what we are going to do. You are going to head to the nearest gates, and tell them to spread a message that Erwin Smith is prohibited from passing through the gates! I'm heading back to the king, and we'll see what he'll do about your fatal mistake.'' Marshall Fubar said, before signalling the rest to head back. ''Arrogant prick.'' the wall-priest mumbled as he watched Marshall Fubar and his contingent leave, then shouted ''You know what we have to do!'' before mounting his horse and heading to the gates of the next wall, the great wall of Rose.

Meanwhile, the king himself was once more knocking on his daughter's door. ''Christa?'' he called out. ''I'm not coming out of my room, father. I don't wish to participate in your foolish celebration.'' she told him. ''That's alright, my darling. I've found someone who will speak for me. You don't have to come for me, but you can come to see your friends, before they will get locked up again.'' There was a silence, before he heard small feet walking, and a click before the door opened.

Two angry blue eyes stared at him harshly. ''Don't you dare use them for this nonsense.'' she growled. ''Sweetie, I've only asked once, and they are doing this willingly.'' he said. Her eyes widened before she said, ''I want to ask them that myself.'' The king smirked, before saying, ''Then, let us head downstairs, I can show you where they are.'' Christa now fully stepped out of her room, following her father, wondering what her friends were possibly thinking.

As they arrived at the dungeons, she spotted Ymir, Jean and Armin sharing one cell. Ymir lay on the ground, and Jean and Armin were both sitting against the wall. Armin seemed to be thinking hard, and Jean seemed to be picking his nose. ''Ymir!'' she said, as she ran to the cell, and the taller girl's eyes sparkled as she heard the voice of her beloved Christa. ''Ymir, I'm glad you're alive.'' Christa said, as the older girl rose to meet Christa.''Of course I'm alive. I won't die before you do, because then I wouldn't be able to protect you.'' Ymir replied, gazing at her through the bars, making Christa blush.

Jean feigned to barf, before greeting Christa as well. ''Hi Christa.'' he said sheepishly, making Armin finally look up. ''Hi, guys. I'm very sorry that I've brought you into this situation.'' Christa said. ''Don't sweat it.'' Jean reassured her, though Christa wondered why they didn't seem worried at all. ''My precious daughter has a question for you lot.'' the king said, wanting to get past the small talk rather fast.

''Is there something wrong, Christa?'' Ymir asked, but the petite girl shook her head. ''Father just told me that you are going to give a speech about him at the celebration tomorrow. Is that true, and if so, why?'' Christa asked. Armin smiled melancholic as he replied, ''The king has requested our services. Seeing that he required our assistance, we had the urge to fulfill this duty.'' ,hoping that the message would come across.

Christa frowned, showing that she clearly was confused about her friends actions. Her father was a terrible man, why would someone want to speak about his glory willingly. ''Christa, won't you be there tomorrow?'' Ymir asked gently. ''I wasn't planning on coming. I don't wish to support my fathers ideals.'' she replied. ''Please come, my darling, maybe Armin's speech will show you otherwise. Your friends will be there awaiting you. Considering the command of words he has, I suppose it will be a marvelous speech.'' the king said.

''That's something I can guarantee you, Sir.'' Ymir said, and Christa cocked her head, before nodding slowly. ''Alright then, father. I'll join your celebration.'' she said, before saying her friends goodbye and heading back to her room. The king glowered at the three friends once more. ''I've said this once, and I'll say it once more, any shenanigans tomorrow, or one wrong word and-'' ''the guards will kill us instantly.'' the three friends chorused back. The king huffed before returning to his court.

''You wouldn't die before she does? Romantic much.'' Jean remarked sarcastically at Ymir, who stuck her tongue out. ''She knows what I'm talking about. Not that I would let her die, for as much as I can control that.'' she replied, falling back to the ground. ''You are surprisingly gentle for someone who puts on a tough face, Ymir.'' Armin said. ''And you've suprisingly got some guts, seeing how you are dating earth's supposedly strongest. I don't see any difference.'' Ymir remarked. ''That aside, do we really want Christa to come tomorrow?'' Jean suddenly asked. ''Why not?'' the others asked him. Jean pointed to the guard sitting a few feet away, signalling why he didn't answer the question. Ymir smirked as she said, ''It'll turn out just fine.''

By the time night fell, Eren, Mikasa and Levi arrived at the gate of wall Sina. Eren's face was covered by the hood of his cloak. The guards quirked their eyebrows as they recognized the emblem on the green cloaks. ''What business have you here?'' one of the guards demanded. ''Can't we simply eat here?'' Levi asked, raising his eyebrows. ''Wait Mike, these could be refugees, maybe they don't know.'' the other guard said. ''I highly doubt that, I think they have escaped and are here to attack the king in revenge.'' Mike said.

''What do you mean with revenge?'' Mikasa demanded to know. ''You know perfectly well what we're talking about. We'll take you to the king, I bet that'll make you-'' before he could finish his sentence, Levi glared at him and said, ''Either you co-operate and allow us in, or I'll personally feed you to a titan. Your pick.'' The other guard gulped, but the guard named Mike shook his head. ''I can't allow that, because-'' Eren's fist crashed against his face, knocking Mike out cold.

''I suppose you're the smart one.'' Levi said as he looked at the other guard, who nodded meekly. ''Good. Then I trust you to not tell the king we've arrived, and to not allow your colleague to cause a panic once he's woken up. If it does happen, I'll track you down, and feed you to a titan, or chop you to dog food.'' Levi said, as Eren wiped bloodspats of his knuckles. The guard nodded, allowing Levi and the others to enter through the gate. ''Wait, Heichou. What if he doesn't keep his word?'' Eren asked. ''Then I'll do what I just said, and then we'll have to wing the situation.'' Levi replied ''But you did hit him pretty hard, so I guess it'll take a while for him to remember what happened.''

''I think we should try to find an inn, so we can catch some rest, before tomorrow. If we stay here and talk too much, people will find us suspicious.'' Mikasa said. They soon found a small inn, where an older friendly woman let them in. ''My, my, you must have had a long journey. Did you soldiers come here to enjoy the celebration tomorrow.'' she asked,as she allowed them to hang their cloaks on the coat rack.

''We did.'' Mikasa replied curtly. The elderly woman smiled at her. ''I see. You've deserved a day off, since you have served many days to help humanity.'' she told them, before adding, ''I suppose the three of you must be very hungry.'' Eren nodded, and the older lady laughed. ''I've some left over soup and a few pieces of bread. It's not much, but it's the least I can offer. It's on the house, of course.'' she said. ''That's very generous of you, ma'am.'' Mikasa said. ''It's my pleasure, sweety. Please sit down as I warm the soup. I'll bring it to you as fast as I can.'' she said, pointing to the wooden table behind her.

The three sat down as the lady hurried herself to the kitchen. ''She seems very nice.'' Eren said and Mikasa nodded. ''Last year, Erwin and I stayed over here as well. She's very motherly to people in the Survey corps, because her daughter served in it for many years. She's been most understanding about the losses as well, but gained a habit of treating Survey members as her lost daughter.'' Levi said with a sympathetic look in his eyes. Eren and Mikasa turned painfully quiet, remembering that Carla Yeager had been just as sweet and gentle as this particular woman. Eren wondered whether if she would have stayed alive, and he died in her place, his mother would have become the same as this woman.

''That aside, she's also been very loyal to the king. Don't mention him too much when she's close.'' Levi warned them. ''Can we ask her about the celebration tomorrow?'' Mikasa asked. ''Of course. If anyone can give us information, it should be her.'' Levi told her. ''Speaking of the celebration, where do you suppose Armin, Jean, Christa and Ymir will be?'' Eren asked, getting to the point.

''I'm not sure about Christa's part, since she's ran away from home before. So I don't know whether she'll be there or not.'' Levi replied honestly. ''And the rest?'' Mikasa asked, not really caring about Christa. But before Levi could reply, the elderly woman returned with a steaming pot filled with chicken soup, three spoons and bowls. She put them on the table, serving the three their soup. ''I'm sorry it took so long. I'll go ahead, and get you some bread, before I'll join you at the table. Feel free to dig in.'' she told them, before retreating to the kitchen.

''We'll discuss this matter later.'' Levi told them, as the woman retreated, before pouring himself some soup. ''So, what are we going to talk about in the mean time?'' Eren whispered. ''Anything really. If she brings up tomorrow, feign interest. If she wants to praise the king, you can change the subject. If you wish to, talk about the weather, or even the freaking birds.'' Levi told him. ''What about the birds and bees?'' Mikasa said, as she poured herself some soup as well. Eren frowned at her reaction, and Levi's eyes nearly popped out, not that he didn't tried to compose himself. ''That is a rather un-appropiate subject for dinner, or the elderly.'' Levi replied, as the elderly woman entered the room again, putting some bread on the table. ''Were you talking about something that happened within the corps?'' she asked, as she sat in between Eren and Mikasa.

''Something along those lines. Our dear friend has recently started seeing someone, and I was asking how things were going between them.'' Mikasa said innocently, as she took a loaf of bread and devoured it like Sasha usually did. Eren shrugged at her manners and followed her example, making the older lady giggle. ''Oi, watch your manners.'' Levi warned, as he sipped a bit of his soup. ''It's alright. My sweetie used to do that as well when she returned from the missions outside the wall. Now, what did I hear about love?'' she asked with interest. Levi coughed, before replying, ''I... I found someone I liked recently, ma'am. He's been kidnapped, and honestly, I'm worried about the conditions my lover is in. The friends that surrounded us have been giving me a hard time, saying they won't accept my love easily.'' , avoiding the fact that his friend was male.

''I see. That's what friends are supposed to do, my dear. My daughter told me that she had found love in the corps as well when she was still alive. The corps made quite an ordeal about it, seeing how fighting was important over love. But love gives courage and allows people to fight for their significant other, if only to see each other one day more. If you'd look into your heart, you know your lover is out there waiting for you. As for the conditions, I'm sure you or the king will figure something out for her to be safe again.'' she answered.

'But the king is the one person I want to save him from.' Levi thought, as Mikasa answered, ''The reason we're giving him a hard time is because our friend Armin is precious to us. We want to know how sincere his love for our friend is, because Armin is really fond of him.'' ''Who couldn't be fond of such a charming young man?'' the older woman asked, as she smiled at Levi. ''I've this feeling you'll see him again sometime soon. Promise me that when you do, you give him a hug and tell him that you appreciate him. Tell him that you love him, because, that was the only thing that my daughter ever regretted not doing.'' she said, holding out one pinky to Levi, who took it, and smiled as he swore, ''I will.''

Mikasa stared amazed at Levi, whose smile seemed sincere. Armin had given the same look once, when they had discussed Armin's feelings at the bridge near the compound. Eren suddenly yawned, gaining attention from the three others. The older woman giggled, as she said, ''My, you must be very tired, it's pretty late after all, and the three of you must have had an awfully long journey. I'll prepare your beds right away, so that when you've finished your soup, you can have a decent sleep.'' She removed her pinky from Levi's and walked upstairs.

''So, what if the guards came here tonight, because of what happened at the gate?'' Mikasa said, knowing the older woman was out of earshot. ''Then we hide ourselves. In the worst case scenario, they will kill us when they try to catch us, or imprison us in the castle.'' Levi replied. ''So, what was all that about the birds and the bees?'' Eren asked, wondering what his childhood friend had implied that was so improper. ''That matter is not important, Yeager. That very decision has not occured to either Armin or me, since we're far to busy serving the corps. Not to mention the fact that he's been kidnapped a lot lately.'' Levi said with a faint blush on his cheeks, before sipping a bit of his soup.

''Armin?'' Jean said. It was late, and honestly, Armin wanted nothing but a bit of rest for the big day. ''Is there something wrong, Jean?'' he asked in a hushed voice, not wanting to be the one to wake Ymir. ''You remember what you asked me earlier? When you asked me what you would do if tomorrow was your last day?'' Jean replied, speaking in a hushed voice as well. Armin nodded, wondering what Jean was thinking. Jean continued, ''Then, if that crossed your mind, you know you may not be able to see the ocean if you die tomorrow.''

''I know that.'' Armin said. ''But, if you go trough with this, then surely...'' Jean didn't want to say it. ''Then I may die while doing humanity a favor. Even if they disregard it, or call me a liar, I'll be satisfied, Jean. Knowing it is revenge for what they have done to...'' suddenly Armin was unable to speak, because Jean's lips were over his. Armin's eyes narrowed as he pushed Jean off, who gave him an apolegetic look. ''Jean, I'm taken, and I don't intend on cheating.'' Armin told him firmly. ''I know. I just don't want to die tomorrow with any regrets.'' Jean said, before leaning against the wall, seemingly depressed. Armin frowned as he turned over, avoiding Jean's devastated expression and trying to catch a bit of sleep.

It had took a while to empty their bowls of soup, but once they were done, the older woman insisted they would head to bed as she would do the dishes. Levi, on the other hand, insisted on helping cleaning the dishes, so he headed to bed later then Mikasa and Eren had. When he arrived, he found Mikasa and Eren already fast asleep. 'So much for discussing the matter of our plan for tomorrow. I'll wake them up early, we're winging it anyway.' he thought, before taking of his his belts, and pants, and took one final look at Mikasa and Eren before he laid down on his bed.

'What if we fail to rescue them tomorrow? What if we cause any casualties that are unnecessary?' he suddenly thought, before staring at his pinky. 'I'd like to be able to hold Armin in my arms once more. To comfort him, to assure him everything will turn out alright as long as he is with me.' he blushed at the thought. He smiled, before falling asleep, faintly remembering the thought of him holding Armin.

''Heichou?'' Armin's voice asked, as Levi looked up groggily. ''Armin?'' he asked, ''What are you doing here? I thought you were imprisoned? Besides, didn't I tell you to call me Levi?'' Suddenly, he realised he didn't lay in the bed provided by the old lady. His body leaned over the table where his head had rested a moment ago, and Armin, Mikasa and Eren were staring at him in confusion.

''You suddenly groaned before you let your head collapse to the table, sir. Is everything alright?'' Eren asked. Levi looked around, he remembered this place. It was his favorite restaurant, the place where he had asked Armin to join him to celebrate Eren's so-called victory at the trial. ''Why would Armin be imprisoned?'' Mikasa wondered.

''Ah, it's nothing. I'm just being silly, I guess.'' Levi said, as he smelled the alluring scent of the candles. Why was he remembering this place so clearly, why now? ''Levi?'' Armin suddenly asked, and Levi looked up, to see Mikasa and Eren were gone. ''Where did your friends go to?'' Levi asked. ''I asked them to gather the horses. There is something I'd like to tell you, Levi.'' Armin said, and Levi leaned forward. ''Then say it. I can't read your mind, and if you can't even say it, it can't be that important.'' Levi told him.

Armin smiled, as he replied, ''I disagree, sir. In this one case, action will suit me better than words to explain what I want to tell you.'' Levi raised his eyebrow, wondering what the blond came up with. ''You're going to puke over me, and tell me you despise me. After all, we weren't really friendly the last time we saw each other.'' Levi said. Armin giggled as he shook his head. ''I'm not one to hold that against you, sir. Just remember that actions are clearer than words, you'll need it.'' Armin said, before he pecked Levi's lips and dashed to the exit.

''I think I understand it, you little snot.'' Levi said to himself, before getting up and leaving the building. After all, it was time to take some action.


	13. The king's celebration.

Chapter 13

The king's celebration.

Levi woke up right as his dream ended. It was still night time, the moon shining luminously trough the window. A figure seemed to be sitting on the ledge, looking out. Levi sat up, ever so carefully reaching for his blade, but the figure somehow heard him, and said, ''Heichou?''

''Eren.'' Levi replied, letting go of the blade, rising and walking up to the teen. Eren stared outside once more, then said in a worried voice, ''They've started the preparations already, or so it seems. It also looks like they've sharpened their defenses. Maybe information that we've arrived leaked out.'' Levi let out a sigh as he took a seat opposite Eren. Before he could say anything, there was a small sound from Mikasa, who seemed to be choking on a bit of her hair, but she removed it quickly, as if getting rid of an annoying bug.

''She should cut it shorter, or wear it in a pony tail.'' Eren said, before turning his attention back to the outside world. ''What if we won't be able to reach the stage, sir. Our cloaks have the emblem of the Survey corps, and they'll be searching for us, because we attacked a guard.'' he added. Levi rolled his eyes, before saying ''I hate to say this, but you're over-thinking it too much. Leave that to your friends, it doesn't suit you. We'll be able to get there, we just need to take a detour.'' Eren demanded, ''And then what? What if the detour causes us to be too late? What if something happens?'' Levi reassured him, ''The captives are pretty capable of fending for themselves, even without their gears, Eren. The only thing that can harm them is a titan and the only ones in the neighboorhood are you and Ymir. These royal runts can't do shit.''

As they prepared themselves for the great task of awaking Mikasa, Ymir woke up, facing a depressed Jean and a sleeping Armin. In a firm but hushed voice, she told Jean, ''Cheer up. Armin is the one using his guts to face a difficult task today, we only have to do what we do best. We've got to fight.'' Jean replied, ''I screwed up already.'' ''How the hell did you manage that? We haven't even started, you mulehead.'' Ymir said. ''I did something wrong, okay. I didn't want to upset anyone.'' Jean said.

Ymir looked at Armin, before letting out an ''Ah.'' Jean looked even more despondent after that, causing Ymir to say, ''So what? Krista hit me the first time I tried to speak to her. She thought I was ready to chop her up and have her for dinner. Apparently, I was creepy.'' Jean frowned at the girl's weird attempt to make him feel better. ''Armin is already seeing someone.'' he remarked. ''You bet your ass he is. But what you did wasn't all that selfish, aside from the fact that your timing is way off. Armin is smart, so he'll understand eventually. And even though he'll reject you, he'll still accept you as a friend.''

''How can you tell?'' Jean asked. ''Because I did the same to a certain titan shifter.'' Ymir replied, before she dropped the subject, and shook Armin awake. ''Armin, sunset is almost here. We've got to be ready.'' she said, as Armin woke up. ''Morning, guys.'' Armin said, rubbing his eyes, before facing Jean. He grinned, before he took Jean's hands, and said, ''Are you ready?'' Jean smiled back, before saying, ''Hell yeah.'' making Ymir smirk.

As Eren shook Mikasa awake, she woke up instantly. ''Is there something wrong, Eren?'' she asked as she saw his troubled expression. ''We have to take a detour, because defenses have been tightened. We should head out now if we want to save the others.'' Eren explained and Mikasa nodded as she got up. Soon afterwards, they tip-toed out, making sure they didn't wake the older lady and sneaked to the nearby tunnels that would eventually lead them to the stage where the king would be celebrating his 'glory'.

The king himself was currently occupied eating his breakfast with his beloved daughter, and suprisingly enough, the three imprisoned cadets. ''It's very kind of your Highness to share this meal with us.'' Ymir said, and even Jean had to admit he was impressed with her acting skills. ''I figured this was the least I could do.'' the king replied, before taking a sip of his tea. Armin leaned towards Jean and whispered, ''Something's off.'' Jean frowned, before nodding.

''Is there something wrong, Arlert?'' the king asked. Armin shook his head and said, ''I was telling Cadet Kirchstein that this bread is rather tasty. Our fellow cadet named Sasha would have loved this.'' The king replied, ''I see. Unfortunately, we seem to have run out of time for breakfast. I'd like you to gather at the stables, as my daughter and I will prepare ourselves.'' Some guards then rose to guide them to the stables. Ymir frowned, observing how eager the guards seemed to bring them there. Armin rose, feeling it would be for the best to cooperate for the time being. Jean and Ymir hesitated before following his example.

Krista stared at her father, getting a funny feeling. ''Daddy?'' she asked, and her father looked up. ''Is there something wrong, sweetie?'' he asked. As she was about to reply, she could swear she heard some muffled screams, followed by complete silence. ''Nothing father.'' she said, before returning her attention to her plate. Her father smirked, before finishing his tea.

''Holy Titan.'' Hanji suddenly said, as they were still heading towards the great wall of Sina. They had succesfully avoided Marshall Fubar, and Erwin prayed they would be able to force their way through the gate. Hanji's sudden exclemation had startled Connie and Sasha, but Erwin seemed to be smiling about her enthousiastic outburst. ''Did you spot a titan?'' he asked her. ''No. I was just thinking, it'll take at least half a day to arrive at the gates from wall Sina. Who knows what kind of wicked plan Levi has come up with, and I don't want to miss it!'' she said, before speeding up a little. Erwin smirked, before ordering the cadets to do the same.

''How long before we get there? We've been walking for at least an hour.'' Eren complained, causing both Mikasa and Levi to shush him. ''Not so loud, Yeager. Someone might hear.'' Levi hissed, before whispering, ''It would take us at least another half an hour to get there, and that's if we keep making progress like we just did. The real trouble is what we'll have to face there.'' Mikasa nodded, then resumed walking, and Levi did the same. 'The real question is what the others have been doing until now. God knows what Ymir's antics may be.' Eren thought, before following the other two.

Levi thought something similar. He couldn't imagine the three imprisoned cadets wouldn't try anything. That was just not their style, but, knowing Armin, it would have been chosen with tact. If it had been anyone else, say Connie, or Sasha, they would have planned for Ymir to become a titan and just flee. Levi wasn't even sure they would find the captives at the celebration. What if the king left them heavily guarded in the dungeons of the castle? Levi shook his head, the king would require nearly all of his guards at the celebration.

There simply wouldn't be enough guards to supervise the cadets as well. 'What if they've executed them already?' Levi's mind wondered. Somehow, he refused to believe that. As they drew near to an illuminated area, Levi looked up, before over-hearing two guards talking on the upper levels. He stopped, and as Mikasa looked at him, wondering what caused the abrupt stop, he pointed up, and the three of them listened in.

''So, the king has found more titan-shifters? How many more do you think the Survey hides from us?'' a male voice said. ''My guess is they hired plenty. I think their missions were just to feed these monsters, instead of fighting with real titans.'' another voice replied. Levi's fists clenched, how dare they talk about the corps like that. Those deaths were sacrifices for the good of humanity.

''Did you hear some men of the corps entered wall Sina last night? They took out Mike, and scared the shit out of Neil. I think they are here to save their fellows before they dare to attack us.'' Mikasa shook her head, and Eren was about to start shouting something, but Mikasa quickly put her hand over his mouth.

''Anyhow, why would the king bring them to the celebration today?'' the first voice asked. ''Maybe to lure those others out, and to kill all six of them on the spot. Even if they don't show up, it would be for the best to execute the imprisoned ones today. Better safe then sorry.'' Eren bit Mikasa's hand, who refused to let go, preventing her friend from starting a ruckus. ''Eren, calm down. If we start now, we won't be able to save Armin.'' she whispered angrily. Eren sighed against her palm, but before Mikasa could say something, Levi turned around and whispered, ''We better hurry. The earlier we arrive, the sooner we'll be able to save our friends, before things can get out of control.'' before firmly stepping towards the exit.

Jean groaned as he opened his eyes. He tried to move his hands, but it seemed they were stuck. As he looked around, he noticed Armin and Ymir were still unconsious and tied to chairs, and Jean assumed he had shared the same fate. There were plenty of people staring at them, as if they were animals. Jean spotted the king, instructing a few guards that surrounded Christa, before the king walked to the center of the stage. 'Wasn't Armin supposed to give a speech? What use are we, if we're like this? Does this king even think about anything aside from his status?' Jean wondered, as the king scratched his head, before speaking up.

''Good afternoon, beloved citizens from wall Sina. It's a pleasure to see you gathered here to enjoy this celebration with me. It has been yet another year that the titans have not reached wall Sina-'' Suddenly the king's voice dropped, ''But I fear I have some dire news regarding this matter.'' These words caused many people to talk, and Jean picked up a few unkind words. As soon as the king resumed speaking, the commoners listened eagerly to whatever he had to say, ''As most of my court knows, circumstances have forced me to make the decision to disband the Survey corps.'' Jean's eyes widened at this, why would the king disband humanity's only protection!

Just now, Ymir woke up as well, glowering at the king when she spotted how desperate Christa seemed to be. ''Armin, wake up.'' Jean hissed, hoping the blond would wake up and come up with a plan to help them. Much to Jean's dismay, Armin's state remained one of unconsiousness. ''Why would you disband the survey?'' a brave fool asked the king, and Ymir narrowed her eyes, as she whispered to Jean, ''What's this bullshit about the corps being disbanded?'' Jean whispered back, ''I don't know. We'll have to hear him out.'' He hissed once more, ''Armin, wake up. We need you.''

''That's a very sharp question, my good man.'' the king replied, a smirk present on his face. ''You may have heard about the trial of a certain shifter named Eren Yeager. Recently, two more members of the survey have been executed at the charge of being Titan shifters. Their names were Bertholdt Hoover and Reiner Braun.'' the king explained. The people let out an ''oooh?'' before he could continue, ''We fear that commander Erwin Smith may have hidden a few more secrets, and for the safety of humanity we had to take the precautionary measure of disbanding his organisation. After Marshall Fubar had informed them of this, three members of the survey entered the city yesterday evening in a rather rude and demanding manner.''

'What?' Jean thought. The people couldn't be seriously buying this shit, could they? He also wondered who would have entered the city, and what would be their real reason to come here. As the king told more stories to paint the survey in a bad light, Levi, Mikasa and Eren finally made their way out of the tunnel, and were now listening in as they stood behind a large building. ''What in the world is this baffoon going on about? Can't we just go there and kill him.'' Eren asked. ''I wish, and I'd also wish you'd keep your buffoons and babboons separated.'' Levi said, before explaining, ''We can't attack him recklessly, we'll only get one clean shot at this.'' Miksa shook her head, before saying, ''We can join the crowd. It may gain us easy acces to the stage, if they 'capture' us.'' she then took a few steps, and blended in with the back of the crowd.

''Anyhow, going back to those dratted ex-survey members who entered the city.'' the king said, and Mikasa froze in her tracks. ''I believe they have come here to save these rascalls that we've imprisoned. Once they would have saved them, my guess is that they would have created havoc, and attacked us no matter the consequenses.'' the king said. ''Oh, no.'' A woman said, sounding genuinely scared. When Mikasa looked, she saw the older woman, gasping and seemingly horrified. ''Therefore we have brought these prisoners. Usually we do this where no one can see us, but I fear we've to execute them here and now. Maybe it'll draw out the others, maybe it won't. But we can't allow their existence to threathen us any longer.'' the king spoke.

Ymir grimaced, and Jean was horrified. Christa screamed in denial as she fell to the ground, but the guards surrounding her dragged her off, and before Mikasa could even react, a cable flew past her, then Levi suddenly landed on the stage, Eren going in right after him. ''Stop this nonsense this instance.'' Levi said, as he kicked the king down, and pointed his blade at the king's face. The guards aimed their guns at them, but Levi merely shrugged and said, ''I'll come clean with you. If you mess up what's mine, I'll personally cut you in half and feed you to Eren over there in his titan form.''


	14. The king's celebration- part two.

Chapter fourteen

The king's celebration- part two.

As Levi pointed his blade at the king, several things occurred. Some soldiers kept aiming their guns at Levi, and Eren glowered at them. Mikasa employed her 3DM gear to make her way to the stage as well, releasing her bound friends and Ymir. As she did this, Armin woke up, confused at the scene he saw, not understanding what was going on. ''Levi...'' he said, and the captain looked at him for a split second, smiled, then turned his attention back to the king. ''Tell your soldiers to withdraw, before anything nasty occurs, and no dirty tricks, I don't want any bystanders to be harmed.'' Levi warned him. The king paled, but then shook his head. Levi narrowed his eyes, he knew the king didn't really care for the people, but Levi did. Even though they were foolish and believed everything the king said, they were still human beings.

What really irked him was that the king liked keeping up the appearance that he was protecting the locals, so why wasn't he doing that now? '' Step away from milord before any harm can be done.'' one of the guards ordered, daring to draw closer. Levi ignored him. ''What do you mean? Tell them to lower their guard, before any casualties can occur.'' Levi demanded again. ''Go ahead and behead me. Show them your true colors, show them what monsters the fomer Survey used to harbor. It will gain you nothing but the loss of respect and hope these people have.'' the king replied. The crowd seemed to agree to what the king said.

''Levi, don't do it.'' Jean said, as he got up, which triggered a few events. Because Jean suddenly moved, one of the guards fired a shot, but Armin pushed Jean out of the way, and the bullet grazed his temple. Everything seemed to freeze for a few seconds, then Armin hit the ground with a loud thump. As Jean cried out Armin's name, Eren looked to see what happened, spotted blood coming out of Armin's head, and without thinking, bit his own hand as his mind only told him one thing. 'Take revenge on those that hurt Armin.'

As Eren turned into a titan, someone uttered a heartfelt ''Shit.'' It was Levi who cursed, moved his sword, and yelled, ''Ackerman, lead the innocent out of here, we need to protect them from Yeager!'' Mikasa nodded curtly, before yelling at the panicked people to follow her. As they began to run, Eren's transformation was almost done. The guards still held their positions, aiming their guns at Eren and Levi, but when Eren stood in front of them, and let out a deafening roar, they dropped their guns and ran off.

''Eren, stop it. You're only complicating things.'' Levi demanded, but his voice didn't reach Eren, who chrashed his fist down onto a few soldiers. ''Leave him to me.'' a gentle voice said, when Levi turned he saw Ymir, ready for a fight. ''Just finish off the king and ensure the boy's, and most importantly, Christa's safety.'' she said, before biting down on her hand as well, and just like that, she became a titan. Unlike Eren, she seemed to have control, and didn't waste a second before wrestling him down.

The king was speechless, and tried to run away, but a grim looking Jean stopped him. ''Where do you think you are going? All this is due to your behaviour, the way you've manipulated people. You ruled alone, on your throne, watching other people suffer. But now when you suffer the most, you think you'll be able to escape? Think again.'' Jean said, before balling his fists. ''Wait, I...'' the king began, but before he could finish, a sword appeared through his stomach. ''Enough already. We can't spare you more time, maybe Eren's foot will end your struggling, but I can assure you that you'll never see another dawn.'' Levi said, pulling his sword back as he watched the King fall onto his knees and gasp for breath. Then Levi looked at Jean, ''We need to get out of here. Where's Armin?'' Jean pointed behind him, where Armin was laying peacefully on the ground. Levi walked up to the body, took Armin in his arms, and said to Jean, ''You don't happen to have a 3DM Gear, do you?''

Jean shook his head, and Levi said, ''I hate to say it, but we'll have to hide for the time being then. Where's Christa?'' Both of them looked around, but didn't spot her anywhere nearby. ''We don't have time for this, follow me.'' Levi said before they ran off, just as Ymir pushed Eren to the ground, which made a rather loud crash, his fist landing on the king. As they continued fighting, Mikasa led the people to one of the main streets of Shiganshina, it would take a while for the carnage to reach there. They couldn't stop there, however, they needed to move towards the wall itself. Suddenly, she spotted a tiny person a few meters before her stepping out of the mob, into an alley. 'Why would someone leave us right now? Maybe another titan shifter?' Mikasa decided to pursue, the mob was moving by itself anyway.

When she entered the alley, she spotted a small girl. ''You need to go with the others, staying here isn't safe.'' Mikasa said. The girl turned, and Mikasa regonized her. ''Christa, what are you-,'' but she couldn't finish her sentence as someone behind her said, ''And what do you Survey scum think you're doing?'' Mikasa turned to see a rather large man. ''That's none of your business, sir. Now please turn around.'' Mikasa said. The man tried to punch her, but she caught his fist. ''You need to think about what your freedom really means to you. Hiding behind these walls isn't going to do you any good. Titans are scary, but the tiranny of this civilization is worse. I'm going to fight my way out.'' she told him.

Before the man could answer, Christa stepped up next to Mikasa. ''Mikasa's right. I've escaped this place before, father has been terrible to everyone. Fighting is the only way out. My best friend, my lover, is a titan shifter. Through her, I've realised what it's like when people despise you, even though what you are doing is for the best.'' she said. The man stayed mute, and Christa continued, ''She's out there, and I bet she's fighting Eren, not because she is a titan and is out to destroy the city, but because she wants to protect you, even though father told you that she should die.'' The man swallowed, as Mikasa let go of his hand, but remained glaring daggers at him. Mikasa nodded firmly, as they stepped past the man and left the alley, ready to stop Eren.

Levi and Jean made it into an empty bar, a few blocks away from the fight. Jean pushed the door open, and Levi rushed in, laying Armin down on a table. ''He still has a pulse, so he's alive, but we need to stop the bleeding this instant.'' Levi said, and Jean tore a strip of a table cloth, grabbed a bottle of booze, drenched the cloth, then used it to clean the wound. ''He's lucky to be alive. What was he thinking anyway?'' Levi wondered out loud, as Armin groaned.

''Armin cares about others. If he hadn't pushed me away, it would have hit me. Armin wouldn't allow that to happen, because he doesn't want my death to be in vain like Marco's.'' Jean explained. ''I know he cares.'' Levi spat, before he crashed his fist onto another table. ''Sir?'' Jean asked, as he ripped another piece of the tablecloth to use it as a bandage. Levi sighed as he said, ''Sorry. I just wished that he would for once stop and think about himself. I can't stand seeing him this way. I can't lose another beloved.'' , as he gingerly stroked a lock of Armin's hair. ''I understand, Sir, but you're asking the impossible. Armin isn't capable of stopping his empathy for others...'' Jean said, before he added, ''Sir, there's something I need to tell you.'' Levi quirked his eyebrow, wondering what Jean could possibly want to tell him. As Jean prepared to tell his secret to Levi, Armin was lost in a dark space.

Armin reached out, trying to feel anything. 'Have I gone blind? Has the bullet hit my eyes? How am I going to fight like this?' Armin wondered, rubbing at his eyes. But when he opened them, he found he could see. ''Where am I?'' he wondered out loud.

''Nowhere in particular.'' a voice replied, and a person walked up to Armin. ''Who are you? Do you work for the king?'' Armin asked. ''No. Don't you recognize me?'' the voice asked, as the person halted and bent down to face Armin with an angelic smile. ''Marco...'' Armin whispered, and the freckled teen smiled, as he held out a hand. ''Come on, get up and follow me.'' Marco said, and Armin's eyes widened.

Levi pushed Jean onto the ground rather roughly. ''You've what!?'' he said, as Jean's hand flew up to pinch his bleeding nose. ''I said I was sorry.'' Jean said with a nasal voice, but that didn't help his case. ''Armin is mine, you were the first who was aware of that, and now you've gone and tried to confuse him.'' Levi spat. ''He's not going to leave you. I just wanted him to know, in case anything would happen. If you and the other two hadn't interfered, Armin might have been forced to speak for the king. I was going to take the bullet for him, and this was my way of saying goodbye.'' Jean spat back.

Erwin Smith almost gauged his eyes out, as he spotted two titans fighting in the distance. ''Sir, it appears Eren has gone Titan, and I think the other one must be a shifter as well, seeing no titans have reached the wall of Sina!'' Hanji said, and Erwin nodded. ''I don't know what they're thinking, but I don't see the others stopping them.'' he said. ''I think we can safely assume they have more important priorities than that at the moment. Still, shouldn't we head in to try and stop them, before they go berserk and destroy everything?'' Hanji replied.

Connie sighed, before ordering his horse to go faster. ''Sir, may I go ahead to see what the situation could be? If no one else is present, I'll shoot a red signal flare. And if there are, I'll return with a report on the situation.'' Connie said, and Erwin nodded curtly. ''Sir, I'd like to follow him, Sir!'' Sasha requested, but Erwin shook his head. ''We'll have to wait for the signal, everyone prepare for battle.'' Erwin ordered.

As he turned around to survey his troops, he noticed a cloud of dust in the distance, indicating a force of a size similar to their own was in pursuit, no more than fifteen minutes behind them. ''Hanji?'' Erwin asked, and the titan-crazed woman nodded, as she reached for her flair gun, and shot a red stripe into the skies, hoping that those present in the city, would understand their situation.

Unfortunately, the flair gun went unseen by anyone who was in the city at that moment, as Eren's fist managed to hit Ymir's face, who crashed into a rather large building. Christa screamed as she saw steam coming off of her friend's large form, and Mikasa charged ahead, ready to force Eren to calm down, even if it would cost her her life. But before she could even reach Eren, Eren kept throwing punches at Ymir's titan body. Ymir groaned, as she shook her head. She was beaten back, unable to regain her balance or fight Eren.

She was done for, she hadn't even managed to save Bertholdt in the end. Sure, their approach was wrong, but their ideals weren't . But it didn't matter, after all, it served no purpose. The humans they tried to save were gone, hidden somewhere in this city. The king was probably dead, either Levi's sword must have killed him, or perhaps he was trampled. It wasn't important, if she were to get up, it would only cause more problems. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice scream her name. 'Christa! Why is she here?' Ymir thought, before regaining her strength. She clenched her fists, and her mind focused on one thing. 'Fight Eren Yeager.'

She let out a roar, and as she did so, she pushed Eren away with all of her remaining strength. Eren himself blinked, but before he could react, Ymir's foot kicked his midsection so hard, that he flew backwards. As he did, he flew right into the building where Jean, Levi and Armin had sought refuge. The last thing Eren heard before his mind went blank, was Jean and Levi screaming ''Armin!''

Armin winced as he felt something heavy, but he couldn't exactly place what. He shrugged, and still hesitated to take Marco's hand. ''Is something wrong, Armin?'' Marco asked, as he cocked his head, ''Don't you trust me?'' Armin shook his head. ''It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't have time for this. I don't know what the current situation is, but my senses tell me there's something off. I need to snap out of this dream, right now!'' Armin said, as he slapped himself.

Ymir sighed, as her and Eren's titan forms slowly evaporated. As she slowly allowed gravity to pull her towards the ground, Mikasa and a suddenly appearing Connie rushed themselves towards Eren. She braced herself for the impact, but it never came. Instead, a small figure caught her under her arms. ''Christa...'' Ymir whispered softly, and the blonde girl nodded, as she pecked Ymir's forehead. Ymir's knees gave out, and Christa followed her to the ground, where they sat, embracing. ''Christa, I'm so tired.'' Ymir said. ''I know. You no longer have to force yourself, if you don't want to. At least, not for now. It'll be different when we escape, but in the end, it'll be worth every...'' Christa said, but Ymir shushed her. ''I'm too tired to escape.'' Ymir said, as she closed her eyes. ''Ymir, what do you mean?'' Christa asked, as teardrops ran over her cheek.

''I'm sorry, I should have told you before.'' Ymir said, as she allowed herself to stroke Christa's soft skin. ''Told me what, Ymir, what's the matter?'' Christa demanded. ''It has been eating me for a while, but I can't fight it anymore. Christa, becoming a titan comes with a price. I've regretted it for so long, tried to fight it, and in the end, protecting you through it all made it worth it.'' Christa started wailing, as Ymir's breath slowed.

''You can't die now, not when we're this close.'' Christa said. Ymir smiled, as she said, ''Your skin has always been this soft, even when you had escaped and became so dirty. I've loved you since the minute I saw you, Historia.'' then her breath ghosted out one more time, leaving nothing but an empty shell that used to be Ymir. Christa's hearthwrenching sobs fell on Ymir's now deaf ears.

Marco chuckled, as Armin winced, but stopped Armin before he could slap himself again. ''Armin, I don't know what you have been dreaming about, but I can assure you, this is not a dream. You won't have to wake up, sweating bullets as you used to do. Just take my hand, and follow me. The rest is already waiting for you.'' Armin avoided Marco's eyes, as he asked, ''What do you mean by the rest?''

''I mean everyone else who has, well, you know.'' Marco said. Armin's eyes widened, fearing that he knew what Marco was talking about, but he refused to believe it. ''Who has what, Marco?'' he asked with a hoarse voice. Marco swallowed, before whispering, ''...passed.''


	15. The last man standing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter, but do not fear. Currently I'm working on several stories, including a sequel to Dreaming.  
> I hope I'll be able to post this sequel within a year, but the beta reader for this story has been working on Maid-danna as well, so is really swamped.
> 
> Please enjoy the final chapter, and thank you a lot for your support of this ficle.  
> I don't own Attack on Titan, but did enjoy writing this story.

Chapter fifteen-The final one

The last man standing

Eren Yeager shook his head, his mind still fuzzy from the fact that his head just slammed through some bricks. Before he could bring himself to get up, someone pushed him away, and he heard two people digging trough a pile of rubble. ''Eren.'' he heard a familiar voice say. ''Connie?'' he asked, and suddenly Connie and Mikasa were next to him. ''Eren, are you alright?'' Mikasa asked, as she tried to help him sit up.

Eren groggily shook his head, but stopped when he spotted Levi and Jean still digging frantically. ''Wha'z going on?'' he asked, a slight slur present in his voice. ''Well, I don't have a clue, I just arrived.'' Connie told him. ''Mikasa?'' Eren asked, but only faced Mikasa's grim expression. ''Just rest, Eren.'' she said, before getting up. ''Connie, where are the others?'' she asked. ''They are outside of the gate, I'm supposed to bring them a report of what's going on.'' Connie told her, but Mikasa replied, ''Stay here with Eren. I'll be heading back to give that report. After all, I witnessed what happened.'' than she ran out of the ruined building. ''Mikasa!'' Eren screamed after her, wanting to know wat was going on.

Armin heard a faint cry in the distance, but wasn't focused on what the person was screaming. Marco was still holding out his hand, expecting Armin to take it. ''You... you are joking, right?'' Armin asked. ''No, that would be a terrible joke Armin. Come, Annie has been waiting for you. She wanted to explain her side of the story as well.'' Marco said, reaching for Armin's hand, but Armin slapped it away. ''I'm not dead. I can't be dead. There is so much to fight for, and... I promised Levi I wouldn't leave him.''

''Petra made the same promise, and she died too.'' Marco said.

''Marshall Fubar, with all due respect,'' Erwin started, but the Marshall glared and said, ''Shut it, Smith. You've endangered the citizens of Sina by disobeying the law.'' Hanji spoke before Erwin could. ''Oh, please,'' she rolled her eyes before adding, '' We're all on the same side here, we all want to protect humanity! The only problem here is that His majest...'' one of Fubar's elite managed to point a gun towards Hanji, who shrieked. ''Don't speak badly of our liege.'' the Marshall said, before taking a few steps towards Erwin.

Erwin's innitial reaction was to put his hand near his blade, preparing for battle, in case this was necessary. ''You and your band of misfits are disbanded, Smith. I'd suggest you leave to the rotten slums where you came from this instant, before I allow my men to send you to a place beyond earth, wherever that may be.'' The Marshall said, before he drew a document, sealed by the king, from his coat, and threw it towards Erwin, before stepping behind his men, and signalling all his soldiers to aim their guns at the convicted.

''You've exactly ten seconds to do as you've been ordered, Smith.'' Marshall Fubar said, but all of the survey members held their positions. ''It has been a pleasure serving under you, Sir.'' Hanji said as she saluted Erwin, many Surveyors following her action. ''And it has been a pleasure commanding you.'' Erwin said, as he saluted back. ''We're not leaving, Marshall. Holding your position until you die, is the vow you make when you become a member of the army. You owe it to the people that you protect and love to keep that vow.'' Erwin said.

The marshall narrowed his eyes, as he raised his hand, and said, ''Men, on my signal.'' But before he was able to lower his hand to give said signal, a mop of black hair flew by and chopped the arm off. The Marshall's eyes widened as he spotted a raven-haired girl, holding his arm up in the air. Everything became a blur before his eyes as the other survey members took their chance to attack his men as they were distracted. Marshall Fubar closed his eyes for a split second, and when he opened them, he reached for his gun to shoot Mikasa.

''Armin, I...'' Marco tried to stop Armin before he could hurt himself or run off. ''SHUT UP!'' Armin yelled frantically, making more people look at the scene. ''Armin?'' Reiner asked, but Armin refused to look at him. ''Armin, just accept it. It's easier that way.'' a female voice said, as she gingerly placed a hand on Armin's shoulder. ''No, I can't.'' Armin said, as he pushed her hand off. He heard some footsteps, and the others turned very quiet. ''Then, if you are willing to fight, come with me.''

''Sasha!'' Mikasa screamed, as she saw the brown-haired girl tumble onto the ground, right before her eyes. Mikasa didn't even spare the Marshall one glare, but instead tossed away his arm and dropped to her knees to aid her friend. ''Sasha!'' she said again as she took Sasha's cold hand into hers. ''It's going to be alright, I promise. Why did you take that shot for me?'' Mikasa asked, but Sasha shook her head. ''Face it, Mikasa, this is where everything ends for me. There is no way I can really survive this.'' she said, as she petted her belly. It bore a large wound which was bleeding profusely, and the bloodstain on her clothes continued to expand. ''As for why I took the shot, I think you know why.''

Despite all that, Sasha gave Mikasa a goofy grin. Mikasa didn't understand her, staring ever so confused at Sasha. ''Sasha, you'll survive. Please try to hold on.'' Mikasa said. ''Tell Connie to save you a few potatoes when you get freed from these walls.''Sasha said, before closing her eyes. Mikasa narrowed her eyes, before letting go off Sasha's hand. As she looked behind her, she spotted an enraged Erwin drawing his sword from the Marshall. 'This won't do.' she thought, before moving to support Erwin.

''Ymir?'' Armin asked, but the girl silently kept striding towards unfamiliar places. 'Where is she taking me? I don't have time for this, I need to go back.' Armin thought, before he stepped into a puddle of something. As he looked, he found hot steaming flesh, and Armin's eyes widened, and he tried to pull his foot away, but the flesh remained sticking to it. ''Ymir, help!'' Armin desperately screamed, but the girl turned and said, ''You said you were willing to fight.'' Armin nodded, not seeing where she was going with this. ''Armin, do you know at what cost you become a titan shifter?'' was all she asked.

'Mikasa is taking a long time.' Eren thought, as he watched Connie, Levi and Jean still digging trough the pile of scattered bricks. 'Maybe something is wrong. I don't know what is going on. My mind is a huge blur at the moment.' Eren thought. ''Jean, what is going on?'' Eren shouted, but the stupid horse ignored him.

''The secret to become a titan shifter is that you need to be eaten by a titan and survive, right?'' Armin asked, but Ymir shook her head. ''You're correct in a way, but it's dangerous and many people don't actually survive being eaten by a titan.'' she explained. Armin frowned, if there was another way, then why didn't Bertholdt and Reiner use that instead. ''Most titan shifters have been at this point, you know? On the verge of dying, winding up in this place. But usually when they come here, they still have something or someone they want to protect. Or something that they want to achieve.'' Ymir said.

''I think I understand it so far. But what has that to do with becoming a titan?'' Armin asked. ''Titan's are nothing more than giant infants, controlled by a human. Basically they represent the regrets of a human, who gets to have one more chance to achieve what they want, but then in an other sense than humans do. Titan's are free, Armin, not locked up by walls, or being ruled over by some king. But being an intellegent titan comes with a price. If you truly don't want to die yet, if you really want to fight, if your heart is really into it, you'll leave this place easily.'' Ymir said, before smirking. ''Since you're stuck, why don't you take a moment to think it over.'' she said, before leaving.

Eren sighed, as he got up. He still was a bit dizzy, but managed to walk over to the three others. ''Heichou, who are you searching for? If someone is underneath there, then he or she may have passed on already.'' Eren said, and Levi stopped for a moment. ''Heichou?'' Eren asked, as he saw his superior shaking slightly. ''Don't you dare say that ever again.'' Levi said, as he gave Eren a murderous look. As Eren stood dumbfoundedly, he spotted a tear run across Levi's cheek.

Suddenly everything clicked in Eren's mind, and he realised that Armin was somewhere underneath. ''Armin...'' he whispered. ''Oi, Eren, stop it. The last thing we need is you going berserk again.'' Jean said, but when Eren wanted to reply, some bricks suddenly moved, before a small figure crawled out of it. ''Armin!'' both Eren and Levi shouted before rushing towards the blond. But as Levi took Armin in his arms, he noticed that the blond was at least twenty degrees warmer than he usually was. ''Holy shit, you're burning up. We need to get you a doctor.'' Levi said worriedly.

''There's no need, I'm alright, Levi. Would you mind telling me what the current situation is. We need to escape as fast as possible.'' Armin said. But Levi picked him up, carried him to a chair that had survived somehow when Eren collapsed through the ceiling and said, ''You should rest first, Armin. You've been shot, and a ceiling just collapsed on top of you.'' ''Levi, we don't have time to rest.'' Armin said urgently.

''You may be my love, but I command you to slow down, Armin. You've been injured.'' Levi pressed, but Armin stubbornly shook his head. ''I don't know how to explain what's going on, Levi. But we can still escape these walls, like we intended to in the first place.'' Armin said. ''Armin..., I know you want to go on, but-'' Levi started, but Eren placed his hand on the vice-commander's shoulder.

''Once his mind is set, there isn't much anyone can do to change it.'' Eren explained. Levi sighed, Armin did have that look in his eyes. The same look he had, when he really wanted to go on, no matter what. And Levi never gave up himself, even after Petra had died. He sighed, before looking into Armin's eyes and asked, ''What do you believe we need to do, Armin?''

Christa was still crying as she looked around. This had not gone as she intended. She never once had wanted to join the Survey, all she wanted was to be free. Ymir had offered her that freedom. But once they had joined the survey, she had returned to this hell-hole, and it had taken Ymir. 'Ymir would tell me to go on.' Christa figured, but she couldn't find the strength to get up. Suddenly she heard some noises, and fearing the worst, she made herself as small as possible.

Soon enough, something poked her in the back. She looked up, fearing it would be one of her fathers former henchmen or soldiers, but all she found was raven melancholic eyes staring at her. ''Christa.'' the girl said, and Christa nodded. ''Mikasa?'' she asked, hoping that her eyes weren't deceiving her. Mikasa gave a firm nod. ''Did your knees give out?'' Mikasa asked, and Christa nodded. ''Do you want me to help you?'' Mikasa asked, not even waiting for her reply, but instead lifting Christa up

''Ymir died.'' Christa murmered, barely coherent enough for Mikasa to hear. But Mikasa understood her, and said, ''I'm sorry, it must hurt. Sasha has passed as well.'' Christa felt a lump in her throat, and said, ''Why did good people like them die? There was so much they could've achieved.'' Mikasa sighed, before saying, ''They died, because they were willing to sacrifice themselves for another life. All we can do is get out of here, and live that life to the fullest.''

Before Christa could reply, Erwin called everyone to assemble, and Mikasa rushed over, with Christa in her arms. As she arrived, she spotted Eren and Levi supporting Armin, as the three stood next to Erwin. ''Sir, what's this about?'' Hanji asked, glad to see that Levi and the others were doing fine. ''I believe I have an anwer to that. If I may, Sir?'' Armin requested, and Erwin nodded.

''I think we can all agree that this mission hasn't been a succes so far. But we're really close to regaining our freedom again. Near these walls, there's a gateway leading to the outside world. My grandpa told me about it when I was younger, he and his former fellow soldiers had dug it. But the king knew that if people learned about its existence, they would doubt the danger posed by the Titans. This gateway has been sealed away, but we can find it. All we need is our will and strength.'' Armin explained, before adding, ''Please, don't question it, but I think I'll be able to locate this gateway.'' There was a silence, before Connie said, ''But even if we do find it, then what? We get out, only to face titans. We have gone through enough, haven't we? Whether we die out there, or here, does it make any difference?''

''It does, and I'm willing to take the chance.'' Levi said, before he and Eren made their way, moving Armin as he directed, towards where he thought the gateway was. Soon enough, Erwin, Hanji and Mikasa followed. It took a while, before plenty of other members decided that having faith was all they needed. It was nighttime when they reached a large barn, standing before the wall. ''If I'm correct, the gateway should be behind this barn. This is all that stands between us and freedom.'' For some reason, Eren nodded along, getting the same feeling.

''But, what if this is what keeps the titans out? We really ought to reconsider this.'' someone said, but her voice went ignored as Erwin asked, ''Armin, are you sure?'' ''A hundred percent, Sir.'' Armin replied. ''We have done enough damage here, we can't afford to be wrong.'' Hanji said, but Armin nodded firmly. ''It's nighttime, they won't attack. Besides, I don't think the titans know about this place, because if they did, why didn't Annie and Reiner use this.'' Armin said weakly. ''That's about all the confirmation I need.'' Erwin said, before turning to Mikasa and Levi. ''Would you please force these doors open for us?''

Mikasa nodded, and Levi allowed Eren to hold Armin, before he stepped forward. It took them quite a while, but eventually, they managed. As the broken doors swung open, they peered into a cavernous darkness, an even darker void in the back might be a tunnel. It was dark, so no-one could be sure, but the fact that there was something, meant that Armin could have been right. ''Any who wish to stay behind, can.'' Erwin simply said, before adding, ''But for freedom, it's a small price to pay to encounter whatever there may be on the other side.'' No-one left, though some quivered in fear. But this was what they had been fighting for, and they'd be damned if they didn't go through with it, when they were this close. Erwin took the lead, and the others followed. Levi took Armin from Eren, and said, ''You've been through enough today, allow me to carry him.'' Eren only nodded, before setting off. Armin only smiled weakly, allowing Levi to give him a piggy back ride to the other side.

When they finally reached the other side, after days of stumbling in the dark, the sun was shining, temporarily blinding those that came out of the tunnel first. As they squinted, they realised they were on a beach, viewing the water that was reflecting the sun, no sign of other life at all. Levi and Armin were the last to arrive. ''We made it.'' Levi said, shaking the slightly slumbering Armin awake. ''We did?'' Armin asked, opening his eyes, and staring in awe when he saw the water. ''We really did.'' he repeated as he stared fondly at the panorama. ''What is it like to see your dreams realised?'' Levi asked, and Armin replied, ''Can we talk, apart from the rest?'' Levi nodded, siddling away, as no-one noticed them leaving the scene.

He laid Armin down on the soft sand, before sitting next to Armin, allowing the blond to rest his head against Levi's thigh. ''First things first, I really do love you.'' Armin said, and Levi ruffled trough his hair fondly. ''I know you do, I love you too.'' Armin smiled weakly as he said, ''That's good to hear.'' He followed those words with a deep sigh, before adding, ''That's why I need you to forgive me.'' Levi swallowed, before asking, ''What do you mean?''

Armin allowed his eyes to fall shut and felt his heart ache. ''Armin?!, Armin, answer me!'' Levi demanded. ''Ne, Levi, can you promise me something?'' Armin asked, his voice slightly fading. Levi only nodded, feeling tears welling up as he realised what was going on. ''I'll be watching all off you, that's my promise. But I need you to look after Mikasa and Eren.'' Armin said, as he played with Levi's right hand. ''I promise that I will keep those nitwits safe, Armin.'' Levi said hoarsely. ''Thank you.'' Armin said, before his breath ghosted out, and then, Armin died.

The end.


End file.
